FF8 Tournament: A Twist In Time
by John Tomorrow
Summary: The Sequal to FF8 Tournament! Can Zell and a team of SeeDs stop an Evil Sorceress from destroying their Universe? UPDATED - Final Chapter Submitted! Twist In Time completed!
1. Question, Questions

_Gudday. My name is Michael Kenny, and I am a Zell fan._

_This fic is a sequel to my other fic, FF8 Tournament. Many of you who are reading this now are people who have read Tournament – hopefully. If you wish to get the full enjoyment of this fic, read Tournament. I will be filling in a few blanks here and there, but the plot of Tournament will merge with Twist In Time, so it's crucial to read Tournament. (A few reviews wouldn't hurt either! Thanks!!)_

_As I said before, I am a Zell fan. I love the hotdog-eating freak, which might also explain why this fic will also be rather violent…bare-handed kinda violent. I've been commended on my ability to write a fight scene many times, and this story will have no exceptions. Expect action, and plenty of it._

_That said, I'm not all explosions and flying fists. This thing will have a plot-line that will slap you across the side of your face with a wet fish – i.e. expect to be surprised. I'm a no-holds barred writer – Zell got **tortured** in Tournament, as well as **killed**…several times… so leave nothing to chance. I'm going to be brutal._

_When reading this fic, I suggest some music. No, not Beethoven – though he does have some good ones – but more along the lines of Disturbed, Rob-Zombie, Powerman 5000, and to the lesser extent, Linkin Park. You know, something that'll make your ears bleed and carry you along with the fights – of which there will be plenty._

_Right, intro over – time to rock!!_

*          *            *

Ch 1 – Questions Questions

The pub was filled, basically, with scum.

This wasn't just any ordinary, 'don't-mess-with-me-or-you'll-be-breathing-through-a-hose' scum. Oh no. These guys were mean. They made you're worst enemy look like a walk in the park with an ice cream and your best girl by your side.

Of course, to _some_ people, that would make these guys neigh to invincible. But we're referring these guys to _your_ enemies – not to _some_ people.

The bartender, a simple man with a simple job, tried desperately not to sweat. He had been cleaning the same glass for the last half-hour, trying not to draw any attention to himself. It wouldn't have mattered anyways. The scum hadn't actually ordered anything for a while since they had arrived.

Three days ago.

*          *            *

Outside the pub Timber police surrounded the tiny bar. Men stood all around the entrance and the windows, their guns trained on them unerringly. On the roof several cops stood to make sure no-one would try to escape through any vents.

Three men were stationed just outside the backdoor in the messy alleyway, their guns trained on the metal door. One sat behind a bundle of trashcans, hidden almost perfectly. Another stood just behind the gates of the stairs up to the Timber TV Station, further down the alleyway. The final one sat just on the windowsill above the door, his gun trained on the door as he leaned slightly over the sill.

He looked down at the man behind the cans awkwardly. "Hey…" He whispered. "…Hey, Jark."

"What?"

"Why are we here again?"

Jark rolled his eyes and spared a glance up at his friend. "We're making sure that they stay within the pub until the SeeDs get here."

"Well, they're taking their time, huh?"

"They're a mercenary force, Zap. A _profit_ organization. They need time to get everything in order."

"Yeah, but…three days?"

The man in the back of the alleyway spoke up. "Oi! You two! Shut up already!!"

The two Timber soldiers shut their yaps and continued their vigilant watch on the door. They didn't see two figures on top of the TV Station roof.

*          *            *

Two figures stood atop the TV Station, the sunlight warming their backs.

The first man turned to the second, who was holding a rifle, the weapon pointed towards the rooftop. "Anything?"

The second man flicked his red ponytail back around his shoulder and adjusted his fedora hat, the stiff breeze causing the leather jacket he wore to flap around him. "No enemies on the roof. I'm impressed. I guess the Timber Soldiers must've been training."

The first man nodded, his muscular arms crossed. "Yeah…but I wonder why they asked us to take these guys. I mean, the Timber Soldiers are trained in paramagical abilities, right?"

"Nope…most of them use guns. They figure they don't really need magic in today's political clime."

The first man shook his head with a smirk. "Silly buggers…when will they learn?" He uncrossed his arms and cracked his knuckles, the loud cracks emitting from beneath the thin Adamantine gauntlets that covered his hands. One was a blood red, the other a shiny silver, each allowing full movement in both hands. He cracked the knuckles on one hand, before cracking the knuckles of the other. "Ah well. You ready?"

The second man stood, placing the rifle down into a case besides where he had just crouched. Standing straight, he flicked his arms out, two handguns sliding perfectly out of the sleeves into his hands. "Need you ask?" he muttered, a grin spreading on his handsome face.

The first man mirrored the grin, his tattooed face lighting up. "Then let's boogie."

*          *            *

One of the scum turned to the pub owner. "Hey! You!" He yelled gruffly, his serrated blade sliding out of his sheath with a menacing 'shing'.

The publican jumped slightly, almost dropping his very-clean glass. "Y-yes?"

"Get me a drink."

The publican blinked. "W-what do you want?"

"I said, get me a drink!!"

The order was put with such a sadistic tone, the glare the scum gave to the pub owner so vile, that he knew that if he went over there he would be, at the very least, strangled by his own colon. He also knew that if he didn't follow the order he would most likely not die so quickly.

Fighting for something that barely resembled calm, the pub owner quickly and professionally made the most alcoholic drink he knew – a Marlboro Dicer, guaranteed to make you see stars for at least a full hour – before the alcohol actually kicks in and you begin to feel like you've just drunk an entire vat of full strength beer.

"Where the hell's my drink?!"

"C-Coming sir!" The pub owner said, mixing the last of the drink and pouring all the contents into the largest glass he could find.

He quickly traced his way around the bar, the drink spilling slightly as he moved around the ten or so other soldiers towards the one who had ordered him. The man accepted the drink ungratefully, ripping it out of the pub owner's hands.

"Thanks…" He grunted, before lifting the large pitcher to his thick lisp and greedily gulping down the contents. He lowered the pitcher and grimaced, before belching loudly. "Weak as piss." He muttered, crushing the pewter pitcher in his hand  "You know how to make a Red Dragon?"

The pub owner gasped at the mention of the drink, his eyes widening in shock. "That…that drink has enough alcohol to kill a T-Rexaur. It's been proven!"

The man grinned again. "Yeah. It's a great drink."

The pub owner stepped back in dazed amazement. Even if the man were bluffing, it would be crazy to even request such a drink.

Unfortunately, he stepped right into another soldier, his beefy frame stopping the pudgy body of the pub owner as if he had waked right into a wall. A brick wall. A brick wall reinforced with adamantine. A brick wall, reinforced with adamantine, and carrying a _very_ large gunblade.

Both men looked down at the small sandwich the man had made himself only moments before, the cheese spilled out of the two slices from where he had dropped it thanks to the clumsy bartender.

Both men looked up again, their eyes locking.

One man simply whimpered, sheer terror within the small orbs in his skull.

The other man's eyes were as lifeless as the cheese on the floor. The only thing that resembled emotion was the reflection of the other man's terrified eyes.

The publican scarpered. As sure as he was that someone was going to be coming for him and the other hostages huddled behind the bar, he was also sure that he was the only one who was holding on by a very thin thread.

He would not be holding on for much longer.

*          *            *

A Timber Soldier up on the roof suddenly heard two soft thumps, like the sound an empty cardboard box makes when it hits the floor. Looking around, the only thing he saw was the ventilation box, surrounded by several of his friends, who were looking outwards.

The ventilation box had been cleared and bolted down, a large steel container placed over it to prevent anybody from getting out.

The Soldier stepped forward slowly, his rifle trained on the ventilation box.

"Not there, buddy." A voice said evenly.

He looked up to see two men _on top of the box_ – before a blood red fist entered his vision.

Then he saw nothing.

*          *            *

Several thumps sounded on the roof, and every soldier jumped to their feet. A myriad of sounds – swords being drawn, guns being cocked, chains being unfurled – echoed around the tiny bar.

The bartender gulped as the man he gave the drink to turned to the man beside him. "What the hell was that?"

The man that spoke back was the most deadly, simply because he didn't look deadly. Smaller then the others, his hands were covered in metallic armour, the gauntlets covered in small spikes. "It wasn't the Timber Soldiers. If they were going to do something, they would have done it by now." He muttered quietly, tossing a lock of long black hair from his intelligent eyes.

Every merc in the room looked at each other, the unspoken words seeming to be sent by their warriors eyes only. _SeeDs were on the premises._

The man with the gauntlets walked to the centre of the room. "Everybody, take your places. All projectile users stay to the centre of the room. Blade and fighters take your places beside the doors. SeeD wouldn't risk the Timber Soldiers on an attack on such a small area – but they won't care about risking their own hides."

He pointed to the man who dropped his sandwich. "You – guard those hostages. If they move an inch, you have my permission to castrate them."

The man nodded emotionlessly, before vaulting over the bar and landing on top of someone.

Everybody was in position. All guns were trained on the roof. Several men carrying gunblades, nunchaku and knives guarded both doors and all windows. Now allow they needed was for someone to try and enter the pub.

They didn't need to wait for long.

*          *            *

"Are the soldiers taken care of?" The cowboy asked, looking down over the edge of the roof, speaking into the microphone attached to the collar of his coat.

The warrior looked up from the several bodies around him and lifted the silver gauntlet to his mouth. _More or less._ His words were emitted clearly from the earpiece within the cowboy's ear. _I don't know about you, but I saw some movement within the pub. I think we've been fucked._

"Shit…" The cowboy muttered, flicking the safeties off his large handguns. "I told you we should have left the Timber Soldiers alone."

What, and risk allowing them to barge in while we're cleaning up? We'll have less to worry about once we get inside.

"Whatever, lets just finish this off, go home and get laid."

There was a brief pause, before the cowboy watched the warrior shrug with a smile. _…Fine by me…_

*          *            *

"One man outside. He's taken out all of the Timber Soldiers." One of the mercs said as he looked outside the window of the bar, before turning to the smaller warrior. "He's good. I barely saw him move."

"That's SeeD before…don't get freaked out, though. They're only human, like us."

"Certainly didn't look human to me Keln…."

Keln walked forward, gripping the larger man by the shirtfront and hauling him up off his feet. "I don't need weaklings." He muttered, before reaching up with the other hand – and stabbing the spikes on the gauntlet into his eyes.

The man barely had time to scream – before there was a knock on the front door.

*          *            *

Beginning entrance procedure… 

"Come off it man. You just like acting cool before taking out the bad guys."

There was a short pause. _…Executing entrance procedure…_

The cowboy smiled, before pointing the handguns down at the roof under his feet. "I swear to the gods, you can be such an asshole sometimes…"

*          *            *

Every eye turned towards the door – before it blew open with a spectacular explosion, the blast smashing the three men around the door onto their backs and skidding off into the back of the bar.

Zell stepped through the now-open door with a large grin on his tattooed face. "Anybody call a Garden-er?"

Keln jumped backwards, pointing a finger at the SeeD. "It's SeeD! Blast him!!"

Every single person with a projectile weapon opened up on the SeeD, the loud clatter of machine gun fire echoing throughout the bar as the six men carrying gun opened fire.

Zell's grin seemed to grow even larger – before his hands began to dance before him, his arms blurs as sparks flashed and spat around and before him, his hands flashing as he _deflected the bullets with his gauntlets_.

There was a brief pause as the machine-gunners ran out of ammo, and everybody watched as Zell lowered one smoking red gauntlet, opening the fist – _to show the bullets he had caught!!_ "You'll have to do better then that, boys." He said with a chuckle as the smoking lumps of lead clattered to the floor, the silence within the room so thick you couldn't cut it with a gunblade.

There was an abrupt repetition of gunshots as a neat hole was cut through the roof of the bar, a circle of ceiling dropping down to reveal a second SeeD, this one dressed in a leather coat, twirling twin handguns as he fell through the hole he made to land on top of the guy who had been unlucky enough to be beneath him. "Surprise!!" Irvine cried.

That was the que. Every mercenary in the bar suddenly jumped for Zell and Irvine, the two SeeDs ready for anything.

Irvine was amongst the mercs in an instant, his guns flaring brilliantly as he twisted and twirled amongst the swinging blades and flailing chains. Jumping on top of a table, his hands moved so fast you could hardly see, the bullets seeming to simply travel to their targets without the cowboy needing to look.

Zell stepped forward, bringing the fight to the mercs too. Smashing a fist into the face of a big beefy guy, he quickly grabbed his arm and flipped him over his body, slamming the man to the ground. A quick twist of the arm, a snap for confirmation, before slamming a palm into the man's agonised face signified his end to the fight.

Zell then ducked, rolling to the left as a large blade slashed through the air where his head had just been. Rolling to his feet, he flipped a chair up onto it's legs and kicked it forward, the chair sliding forward and tripping the swordsman over. Zell was on top of him in an instant, a quick head butt knocking him out.

He flipped up and off the man as a large chain smashed down on him, crushing the man's sternum, killing him instantly. The chain-wielder barely had time to look up – before two metal fingers poked straight through the eyes, meeting somewhere behind the eye-sockets, and separating the cranium from the maxilla. In layman's terms, ripping the top of the skull from the head.

Zell looked up to see a man aiming a gun at him, and he quickly threw the bone at him, the bloody piece of skull taking him right in the face, knocking the gun-man off-balance. Zell then stepped forward, placing his hand on the man's chest – before blasting him to atoms with a Firaga, the powerful magic also taking out half the table, chairs and terrorists behind the now ashened assailant.

Irvine picked himself off the floor just in time as another terrorist slashed down at the ground, only barely missing the cowboy's head as the sharp sword clove the lacquered wood floor. Irvine placed a handgun on the man's head, smiling as he shook his head – before the hammer fell on an empty chamber.

The merc was now the one who was smiling as Irvine frowned, annoyed, pulling the trigger again as if he didn't believe that his Vincent Valentine had run out of bullets. Irvine saw the smile, and, pulling the gun back, smashed the heavy metal weapon into the man's face. The man slumped down, unconscious.

Popping the clips on the guns, Irvine kicked a riding boot into an advancing terrorists' groin, causing the man to double over as Irvine rammed fresh clips into the clip chambers, allowing the slides to click forward, chambering the rounds. Irvine then placed one gun barrel on the kneeling terrorist's head and blew his brains out whilst swinging his other gun behind him, blasting a sneaky terrorist off his feet with an over-the-shoulder shot.

Zell quickly flipped over the back of one bad guy and, grabbing his face with a hand as he flipped over, threw him into another one, the two large men falling to the floor like skittles. Jumping up, he rammed a boot into the man lying on top, the shoe seeming to crush all barriers under it. Both men's screams were cut off abruptly by a flash of Fire.

Zell then turned to see the last two men. A man about Zell's height, wielding twin gauntlets with spikes on the knuckles, and a big chunky man wielding a gunblade and gripping a hostage by the throat, the sword inches away from piercing the man's heart.

The smaller man spoke, his voice cool and precise. "You _must_ be Zell Dincht. Nobody else could have moved through my men with such precision and…violence. And nobody else has gauntlets like yours…one stained with your own blood, I presume?"

"Yeah…and I had some help." Zell muttered evenly, watching as Irvine stood up straight, smoke twisting from his Vincent's as he assessed the situation.

The smaller man smiled, not bothering to turn. "Irvine Kinnes…the Sorceress Slayer. Of course. Deadly with his guns…but without them, I'd think he wouldn't be much of a challenge."

"You'd have to get them off me first, dude." Irvine muttered, one gun pointed at the head of the small man whilst the other was pointed at the larger one. "Drop the hostage, give up, and you might live through this."

"You'd turn us over?" The smaller one asked, his voice full of mockery.

Zell smiled. "We're mercenaries…not police. We kill when we need to…but not all the time."

"Obviously." The smaller man lifted his fists, showing off his golden gauntlets. "My name is Rest Keln, a Commander in the Defector Army. I wish to challenge you to a Duel to the death."

Zell paused for a second – before smiling, nodding his head. "I fully accept you're challenge, Rest. It would please me to fight someone with such respect as you."

"Zell! What are you doing?!" Irvine exclaimed as he watched Zell lift his fists. "Lets just clean this up and go home!"

"It'll only take a minute, Irvine – trust me." Zell said to his friend with a wink.

Keln stepped forward, rolling his head on it's base. "I watched your fights in the Tournament. I was unable to fight at the time – I was hospitalised at the time. But now I'm ready for anything you throw at me - "

Keln stepped forward suddenly, cutting his sentence off as he threw a powerful blow at Zell – who just managed to dodge, sliding on his feet to the left and gripping the arm, pulling it up and over his body in the perfect throw.

Keln predicted the manoeuvre, however, and twisted his body around to land on his feet, using the closeness to his prey to his advantage. He smashed a fist into Zell's stomach, who grunted as the hand slammed into the flesh, the spikes driving into the SeeD's guts painfully. Zell grimaced, but didn't budge as he quickly twisted and threw the terrorist outside, the man flying straight through the wall beside the door and landing on the ground with a thud.

Zell looked over to Irvine. "Take care of him." He muttered, flicking a thumb at the man holding the gunblade, before walking out the door.

The man watched as Zell walked out the door, before turning his sight back to Irvine. The handgun was now almost an inch from his left eye, Irvine having covered the six or so feet from where he had been in almost a blink of an eye, and the man gulped loudly as he realised that he was screwed.

*          *            *

Keln picked himself up slowly, shaking his head and looking up in the Galbadian sunlight. Zell walked forward, keeping a safe distance as he watched the soldier rise to his feet.

He cocked his head to the left. "Bionics…cool." Zell muttered as he watched one of Keln's leg spark slightly, torn pant material showing the plastic skin covering the outside, ripped slightly from the trip through the metal and rock wall. "Reminds me of someone."

"Yes…I believe Sam Gangee had bionic too…" Keln said, stepping forward quickly, his fist slashing out over Zell's ducked head.

"Yeah…I wondered why it hurt so much to kick that leg." Zell replied, smashing an uppercut into Keln's head, before spinning and kicking the soldier down to the ground. 

Keln looked up, spitting some blood out of his mouth as he watched the SeeD lift his hand, his palm flat, his fingers fanned. "You were too much for me…" He choked as the ball of lightening began to grow in Zell's red hand. "…At least I got to fight you…"

"Yeah…real honour, huh?" Zell muttered, watching as the man closed his eyes – before the Thundara smashed into his body, lacing through his system and frying him instantly. Keln's body twitched slightly, before coming to a rest, his gauntlet covered fist opening loose, all tension released as he left the physical coil.

Zell sighed and turned to see Irvine walk the last remaining terrorist out, disarmed and meek. "One survivor unhurt…I suppose that's some kinda record, huh?"

The man suddenly reached for his belt, pulling a knife out of nowhere – before his brains were splattered all over the place, Irvine's gun blast echoing throughout the city. Zell watched the body slump to the floor and shrugged. "Oh well."

*          *            *

The two SeeDs watched as the Timber authorities began to clean up, reviving their unconscious comrades and unfurling the body-bags for the fallen terrorists.

Irvine and Zell sat on the bench just next to the stairs down to the pub area, watching as all the paramedics and militia scurried about with their jobs to do. Timber citizens had began to crowd around the cordoned off area, many wanting to catch the afternoon train back to Deling. Zell leaned back on the bench, his eyes closed. Irvine sat with his legs crossed, his rifle case sitting beside him as he reloaded his spent clips.

"You hear what he said in there?" Zell muttered, not bothering to open his eyes, fingering the bandages that a paramedic had wrapped around his stomach after casting a small Cure spell on the wound.

Irvine nodded. "Yeah man. Defector Army." He finished one clip and stashed it in an ammo pouch, before starting on another. "You reckon there's more out there?"

"Who knows…although Hyne knows why they wanted to attack the Aurora Pub."

"Maybe with Deling gone they have nothing else to do? No leader, no mission…no point."

Zell shook his head. "Bugger it. It doesn't matter anymore. All that matters now it how we get back to Balamb…back to Angel."

Irvine rolled his eyes. "Well, you're the one with five million gil. It only costs three thousand, five hundred gil for a train ticket."

Zell snorted. "Yeah. Hell, I suppose I could buy the whole train system and ride for free."

"Yeah, why not?"

The two SeeD's chuckled. Zell shook his head and stood. "Well, come on. We won't get home waiting around here."

Irvine stood, placing the clip he was working on in an ammo pouch and picking up his rifle case. "Hey, what was with all the procedure today? You trying to get serious in you're old age?"

Zell rolled his eyes. "Hyne, Irvine, I'm only twenty one. There's only so much fun you can get from these missions. Maybe I just wanted to test out the new radio system we got."

"Yeah, these things are pretty cool." Irvine muttered, pulling the ear-piece and mike out of his ear and collar. "Although I keep forgetting to take them out after we're finished."

"Well, don't forget when Selphie is on a mission, otherwise you're sure to get your ass kicked."

"Just because I like to comment on the ladies I see when I'm on a mission doesn't mean I'm cheating on her!"

The two SeeDs chuckled once more before walking towards the train station.

They didn't see the two figures peel off the crowd and advance towards them.

*          *            *

"So…what's happening with Commander Carpenter?" Irvine asked Zell as he paid the lady at the newsagency.

"What about it?" Zell countered with a small grin, ripping the wrapping off his chocolate bar with a professional pull of his teeth and biting a huge piece off.

Irvine slugged Zell in the shoulder, frowning with annoyance. "Come on, man! Have you taken the mission, or not?"

It had been three months since the Tournament had finished. After being declared Champion of the World All Out Martial Arts Tournament, Zell had returned to his former job as a SeeD. His winnings – a large golden belt and twenty million Gil – were stashed safely away in his newly rebuilt home in Balamb.

Of course, he only got ten million from the winnings – what with Garden being his official sponsors. Not only that, five million went back into restoring the red Ragnarok to it's former glory – after Zell, Irvine and Selphie had managed to almost destroy it in their attempts to foil the assassination of both the Presidents of Esthar and Galbadia.

Zell couldn't complain, however. Five million gil was a _lot _more gil then he would _ever_ see in his entire life. He safely stashed it away, planning to retire at the ripe old age of thirty – but that was for later.

"I said I would…but he gave me time to think about it." Zell replied solemnly, vaulting onto a train-station bench to wait for the train back to Balamb.

After a massive battle with the Assassin, a traitorous White SeeD called Sam Gangee, Zell had been approached by the highest official in SeeD – Master of the Garden Committee, Matthew Carpenter – and offered a highly dangerous mission.

Save the world…again.

Suffice to say, Zell was more then qualified.

But the catch was, Zell wouldn't just be saving Gaia – he'd be going into uncharted territories, into a place that was wholly foreign to anybody.

He would need to dive into the random equivalent that was Time Compression. But on a much larger, more universal scale. A Universal Compression.

The sheer insanity of it was enough to make anybody step back. 'Hey kid, good job foiling the bad guy's plot, now we want you to do something that would almost defiantly kill you – you up for it?'

Carpenter would have been more then insane to refuse Zell a few months to think it over. He would have been dead.

Irvine plonked down into the seat beside Zell, tearing the wrapper off his own chocolate bar. "So how long did he give you?"

"He said I could take as long as I thought it would take…but if something should happen at the Arch, I'd be forced to decide."

Irvine bit into the sweet chocolate, chewing thoughtfully on some nougat. "Soooo…where are you leaning?" he asked with a full mouth, raising his eyebrows with the question.

Zell shook his head, chomping the rest of his bar down and swallowing in one go. "I dunno…I still haven't made my mind up yet. I mean, Time Compression was bad enough…but Universal Compression? Would I even survive something like that?"

"That's the thing, though. We barely survived Time Compression. But that was _years ago._ _And_ we had Rinoa with us. Would that mean that he'd ask Rinoa to go with you?"

Zell shook his head. "I dunno. From what I've figured, in an all out battle with you or Squall, I most likely wouldn't survive. He needs someone who can fight without equipment – someone who can defend themselves with their bare hands."

Irvine paused for a second – before shrugging the topic off. "Sucks to be you, man. I'd hate to be in your position."

Zell rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the sympathy, dude. I'm sure I'll remember that when I write my will."

Irvine snickered at that.

At that moment, the two tails who had followed them rose from their hiding places behind the bench, their arms reaching out to grasp the two SeeD's necks in long hugging grips…

Zell reacted instantly, his hand reaching up and grabbing his assailant's arm and flinging him up and over his head to fall into the train tracks, disappearing beneath the platform. Without looking he expertly smashed an elbow into Irvine's assailant's face, the female attacker squealing in pain as a spurt of blood signified a clean hit…

Wait a minute. _Female attacker? Squealing in pain?_

Zell froze like someone had cast Stop on him, his arm still cocked back to where the attack had taken place, before forcing his head to turn, with infinite slowness…to see Selphie rolling about on her back, both hands to her face as her nose bled freely. His whole body then froze completely, like someone had cast Blizaga on him. Several time over.

Thought number one: _I am so dead._

Thought number two: _If that's Selphie, then the other one must be…_

Zell's nerves froze for a second time as he watched his beloved Angel, the woman he loved so desperately and intensely, pull herself up off the train tracks and onto the platform, an intense fire burning within her eyes as she blew the short chocolate-brown ponytail off of her shoulder.

Thought number three: _I am SO dead._ He had forgotten all about the fact that Selphie and Angel had said they would be visiting Timber today.

"It wasn't my fault! I swear, you guys! If you hadn't snuck up on us, you wouldn't have gotten the whole 'brutal' treatment! Hey come on, don't look at me like that! Come on guys! I was all jumpy from the mission!! See, I was stabbed!! Guys? Selphie, put down the Flail. Angel, watch where you're pointing that Fire. Come on honey, I've been hurt! See? Honey? Baby??"

The winner of the Gaia Martial Arts Tournament, the saviour of the world on _two_ separate occasions, the most powerful martial artist in the world, bolted as the pair of woman pounced, narrowly missing the fighter and landing on a very frightened cowboy.

*          *            *

In a dark room hidden from prying eyes, a man watched as Zell ducked away from the attacking friends and ran as fast as he could down the street, the two woman giving chase, one dragging a very pitiful looking cowboy along with her.

The man looked up as a hand rested on his shoulder. "And how's our friend coming along?" Commander Carpenter asked, looking down at the screen with mild curiosity. He smiled as he saw Angel catch up with Zell, tackling the man to the floor.

The man sitting down sighed. "It's strange, sir. He moved through the mission with a professionalism I haven't seen in a long time – but now it's like he's an ordinary man. How can someone like that wield so much power?"

"It's the _key_ to his power. His personality is what drew us to him in the first place. The fact that he's a fighter – a damn good one, at that – is just a bonus."

The two men watched as Selphie and Angel began to beat Zell severely, Zell mewling pitifully as Selphie's Flail bounced off his head. Irvine managed to drag the rabid woman off him, locking Selphie's arms back as she continued to natter and snarl at the obviously terrified Zell, who was now only barely defending himself from Angel.

The sitting man frowned. "Do you think he'll accept the mission?"

"I'm as sure of it as I am that nothing good will come out of the Arch. His loyalty to his friends and the world is second to none. He _can't _refuse."

The man sighed. "I don't know, sir…he just seems...well, I just don't think he'll be able to accept what he'll see when he goes through the Arch." He watched as Angel finally stopped punching Zell and walked away, arms crossed, head held high to tend to her wounded friend. Zell simply watched her go, sitting on the ground with his clothes slightly ruffled and torn from the scuffle, but his body no worse for wear.

Carpenter couldn't help but grunt in sympathy as Zell sniffed sadly and pulled himself to his feet, placing his hands in his pockets and walking slowly in the direction that the girls went in order to apologise. "He will…" Carpenter said slowly. "…And he'll save us in the process. You'll see."

With that, Carpenter patted the man on the shoulder and turned, walking out of the room, leaving him to his vigilant watch on the saviour of the world…and maybe countless others.  
*          *            *

_Hey there! Hope you liked the start!!_

_If you've read this before, you might recognise it as the teaser for the fic. Suffice to say, Recruit Number One was supposed to be the first chapter…but I decided to keep this in. It's just so good! I'm really happy with what I've written in it._

Also, I've cleaned up a few bits and pieces – the dual introductions, as well as some other things.


	2. Recruit Number One

Ch 2 – Recruit Number One

Night time, stars filling the inky black blanket that was the sky. Not all the stars, however, were from space.

A city, tiny from infinity above, gigantic from below. Named after a dead dictator, it's the city of Gaia that never sleeps, the people within it always hustling and bustling, having places to go and things to do within as short a time as possible. Not all the people, however, do things on the run. At least, not on their feet.

Within the seedier parts of Deling, stuck just a few metres off one of the major roads, was an abandoned apartment block. To say it was abandoned, however, was a bit of a generalisation. At least fifty of Deling's less fortunate lived within the dank recesses of the apartment building. Most with no jobs, no life, no hope.

One, however, was with a single ray of hope. Down, down into the earth, into a secret room cut into the wall after a good week of toil, sat a man and his computer. The room smelled of dirt, the only light the gentle glow of a computer monitor. The phone line dug out of the wall and illegally tapped into lay in a mound of dirt, used then forgotten like a rape victim.

Hunched over a keyboard, his fingers slashing away at the keys with unerring accuracy and speed, the man is considered the king of the web. The Count of Crackers. The Hun of Hackers.

Long blond hair tied back hastily into a ponytail, wire-framed glasses perched on the end of his button nose, his sea-blue eyes reflected the images of the screen perfectly as the data reeled up to the monitor. Pictures, dates, words, charts, his eyes moving like scanners as he gorged himself on the information that he had…shall we say, 'found', within the Garden Council files.

Garden. The mercenary forces training school, nigh-to unbeatable around the world, fighting people's battles for a good fifty years now. SeeD, their squadron of warriors, trained in the ability's of Junctioning and Paramagic, as well as the ultimate military weapons – Guardian Forces.

His old home.

His blue eyes widened slightly as he opened yet another 'unauthorised' folder, his hands moving like blurs to keep the security systems away from his worm. The contents of the folder spilled onto the monitor like someone spilling milk, and his breath became to come in short gasps. "Universal…" he breathed…

He paused suddenly; his ears peaking slightly, his hunched back straightening. His fingers slowed their typing to a stop as he turned his head slowly to the single wooden door leading to his hidden room. Narrowing his eyes, he quickly pressed a few keys, saving the data he had 'liberated' before anything could happen.

The door suddenly exploded inwards, shards of wood slamming into the earth walls as the man quickly shielded the computer's tower with his body. Monitors were a dime a dozen. The information within the tower, however, had taken him a good four years to gather – and was priceless to him.

Three men were within the room in an instant, one wielding a long rifle, the other a large serrated sword, the final one carrying twin knives. The way they executed the entrance and eliminated any possible chance of exit, as well as their military-esque calls and dress confirmed their identity's to the hacker.

SeeDs.

He sat back upright in his chair, brushing woodchips off his shoulders as the SeeDs relaxed – no hostile bogies in sight. No men grasping for Uzi's or charging a Fire spell. "Clear." Someone said, the tension within the room that had suddenly risen lowering slightly – but only slightly.

"Julius Garner?" One man asked, his voice cold as steel.

The blond hacker brushed his fingers through his hair and smiled. "Sorry, pal." He muttered, his words cool and smooth as they eased out of his mouth. "I don't know anybody by that name."

"You are Julius Garner." A different man said confidently, walking up close to the hacker and placing his rifle-barrel to the hacker's long blond hair. "6'1", long blond hair, blue eyes, Balamb accent."

The hacker smiled, raising his hands above his head. "Sorry pal. I've never heard the name before."

The third man walked up to the blond man, slamming a knife into the desk before leaning against it casually. "C'mon, Garner. We traced your signal right back here. You've been diving in and out of the Garden's internet connections for some time now." He leaned a little closer, his breath washing over the hacker's face. "You didn't expect that you got in there all by yourself?"

The hacker's smile turned into a smug smirk. "Ok. You got me. What do you want?"

The man with the knife stood straight, pulling his shiny blade from the wooden desk. "You're to come with us. Now."

"What for?"

Dead silence was his answer.

Garner's smile didn't waver one bit. "Oh. That's the way it's gonna be, huh?"

"That's the way it's gonna be." The man with the gun said, his voice full of venom. "I've heard of you, Garner. They say you were the best at hand to hand at SeeD, way back when. They say you've never been defeated in a fight, weapons or no. So that's why we're going to take this nice and easy…"

His voice was cut off suddenly as Garner suddenly span in the chair, his hand slapping the barrel of the gun away as it blasted off a round, the bullet slashing through the dank basement atmosphere and slamming into the computer tower.

"No!!" Garner cried, ripping the gun from the man's hands and smashing it across his face, the gunman toppling to the floor with a resounding crash. Garner turned to the knife-man, throwing the rifle at him. It twisted through the air, the butt connecting with the man's head with a resounding crack. He hit the floor at the same time as the gunman.

The swordsman slashed forward, his feet skidding on the earthen floor as his razor sharp sword swished out – to cut the chair, desk and monitor in twain, the items collapsing noisily as he blinked.

Garner had been sitting in the chair. He couldn't have _possibly_ missed him.

A small tap on the shoulder was all the warning the swordsman got, and then he was out of the fight.

Quickly crouching down next to the shattered remains of the tower, Julius ripped one of the sides off. Looking into the smoking remains, his worst fears were correct. The bullet had smashed straight through the main hard drive, permanently destroying all the data he had retrieved from his latest dive. Screaming with rage, he threw the heavy piece of hardware at the wall, the machine shattering with contact against the soft dirt.

He collapsed to his knees, clenching and unclenching his fists, tears barely held back. "Veronica…" he whispered, slamming a fist into the dirt…

Before blinking. "You can come down now." He called out, his voice surprisingly calm as opposed to the rage within him. "Your foot-soldiers have accomplished their mission."

There was the silent decent down the make-shift stairs, and the soft clump of military boots on the soft earth. "We knocked at the front door, but there was no answer." A voice said sympathetically.

"I know. I heard."

There was a snort. "Figures. You were an A Grade, after all."

Julius stood slowly, flexing his lean muscles, the small singlet he wore barely concealing his muscular form. "What do you know about me…?" He said vehenemously, his voice trailing off as he saw who he was speaking to.

The man was just a little shorter then Julius, with a lacy black tattoo that snaked across the left of his face, red and silver adamantine gauntlets on his fists. The SeeD uniform he wore was worn untidily– sleeves rolled up, white shirt unbuttoned slightly at the top. The man's own blue eyes were full of cheeky humour – like he was about to burst into laughter at any moment. His smile was genuine. "I knew that you still had it, man." Zell Dincht said, crossing his arms. "I'm impressed!"

Julius tensed slightly. _Zell Dincht! The Sorceress Hunter!! He's been killed more then five time – and he's been brought back from the point of no return!_ "Thanks…I suppose that's a compliment coming from the Hunter."

Zell's smile turned into a smirk. "Yeah…but it didn't have to go down that way, you know. They were just being cocky, that's all. They underestimated you."

"And what about you?" Julius asked, his own smirk growing on his face.

Zell's smile turned deadly serious. "Trust me when I say, Julius, that you're no match for me."

Julius shrugged, pushing his wire-frame glasses onto the bridge of his nose once more. "Okay. I'm at your mercy. Do you put the cuffs on me now, or when we get outside?"

Zell shook his head. "Nah nah man. You got me all wrong. This isn't a bust…sort of. This is a…a job offer. Yeah, that'll do. A mission."

Julius narrowed his eyes, his fists clenching. "Maybe you've got your wires crossed, Hunter. I've abandoned SeeD. I abandoned SeeD five years ago…when Trabia happened."

Zell nodded sadly. "I know." The Trabia 'incident' had ruined the lives of hundreds of SeeDs and students. Many people had lost their lives and the lives of their loved ones. It had been a great tragedy when the bombs struck. "They told me you lost your girlfriend…it must've sucked, man."

"Sucked? You think it sucked?" Julius spat incredulously. "What do you know about pain? About suffering? My Veronica was stuck under an unexploded missile for days, bleeding to death, and nobody helped me. They were too busy with their own worries, their own skins, and the officials, Hyne, don't get me started on them!" His eyes blazed as he spoke, his hands clenching and unclenching as the words spilled out, his emotions barely held in check. "I held her hand as she died, watching her grow paler and paler. When I tried to draw some magic to junction to my strength in order to save her, they threw me in the cells. I've got nothing left with SeeD, or Garden."

"Is that why you work for anti-SeeD terrorists? Is that why you hack the Council's computers?"

"Yes!! And that's what I'll keep doing until…" he stopped himself suddenly, blinking.

Zell narrowed his eyes. "Until what?"

"Nothing. It's nothing." Julius stammered, obviously nervous. "Just…just let me go, man. I-I promise I'll stop the cracking."

Zell shook his head, walking up to the taller man. "Sorry dude. No-can-do. This is a mission that's top priority. You know what I'm talking about, right?"

Julius nodded slowly. "Universal Compression."

"Right. You're better then I thought! The Council assured me that the Compression files were guarded religiously."

"They were. I had to write script for the hack as I downloaded. It wasn't easy, you know…" Julius stopped, forcing himself to recognise the SeeD tactics Zell was using. _He's appealing to your good side, getting into your mind – leave him out!!_

Zell shook his head, continuing. "I never understood that technical crap. It's always me that needs to be helped when it came to computers. I remember the first time I used a Desk, I had no idea how to work it! I ended up putting a fist through the screen in frustration!"

"Can it, Dincht. I know what you're doing."

Zell sighed and shook his head once more. "Damn, but you're good. How old are you? Twenty-five? Twenty-six? You would have been about twelve when I joined SeeD. I remember you, man. Damn, you were good. Best in the field of martial arts, top of your classes, the full deal. It's too bad we lost you."

"It was when I learn compassion isn't in the rulebook that you lost me." Julius murmured.

"It's in there, man…it's in there…" Zell sighed again, before putting a reassuring hand on Julius's shoulder. "I'll be blunt, man. I need you for a very dangerous mission. Not only for your fighting ability, but also for your hacking skills. I've been through Time Compression, and from what I've heard, Universal Compression isn't going to be a picnic either. If you don't agree to the offer, I'll leave and we'll just have to ask someone who isn't as good, and most probably fail because of it."

Zell squeezed the man's shoulder gently, making him look him in the eyes. "I chose you, man, because you have a heart. I know that you're fighting a noble cause. I know that they couldn't find Veronica's body after you went AWOL. You're trying to revive her, aren't you? And you've been researching ways to do it for five years, stealing vital info from Garden and Esthar the whole time. If you help me, I assure you that you'll have full admittance to the best scientists and laboratories that Garden and Esthar have to offer."

"Re…really?" Julius asked in wide eyed shock.

"For real, man." Zell let go of Julius's shoulder and walked over to the doorway, looking up the stairs. "But…the minute I walk out of this room, you'll be surrounded by more SeeDs then you'll be able to count. You're still a dangerous man, Julius. Even though I sympathise with you, I can't just let you walk out of here. Your stolen information has hurt and permanently killed a lot of good soldiers…me included."

Julius blinked. "You don't mean..."

Zell nodded, not turning to look around. "That's right. The sniper in the martial arts tournament shot me seven times in the chest, effectively killing me on the spot. It was only luck that I survived." He turned his head slightly. "But we've caught up with the rest of the cell. Nobody else was there to accept the information you sent from here the last time you contacted them. That's how we found you."

He placed a foot on the bottom step. "I'll give you five minutes to decide how we're going to do this. Then I'll come down for you myself. And there'll be no negotiations, dude. I'll mean business."

With the ultimatum delivered, Zell walked up the steps into the light upstairs.

*          *          *

Julius kicked at the dirt, his mind tying itself in knots. He had vowed, after escaping from SeeD, to never allow himself to be sucked into their clutches again. He had never allowed himself to think that the information he had been giving the terrorists would be used to hurt people – he hadn't thought at all. All he thought about was the frozen body of his loved one, permanently encased in the block of ice he had cast on her as he stole away from the Trabia ruins.

Walking over to one of the dirt walls, he moved to a section and scrubbed at it, digging with his hands until he hit ice. Scratching away the chunks of dirt, he looked at her, her milky skin and raven-black hair almost illuminated by the blue ice surrounding her slim frame.

Sighing, he reached around the sides of the frozen statue, pulling the block of ice out from it's hiding place, pulling the large brown sack that had been hidden behind it too...

*          *          *

Squall turned to Zell, who was standing next to the entrance down, arms crossed, his face unreadable. "He's not coming up, Zell. He'd rather go down in a blaze of glory then to come back to us."

"Have a little compassion, Squall. How would you like it if you watched Rinoa die right in front of you?"

Squall slammed a fist into the steel wall beside Zell's head. "I have, dammit! I watched her as she ran out of oxygen in space! As she slipped away out of my grasp! I know how he feels!!"

Zell looked away. "Sorry, man." He said sadly.

Squall blinked, turning and crossing his arms. "I…I sympathise with him, if that's what you mean." He said apologetically. "But sympathy won't bring back the dead SeeDs his work has resulted in."

Someone cleared their throat, and Zell and Squall turned around to see Julius walking up the stairs, a large sack slung over his shoulder. "I'll…I'll accept the mission." He said, his voice wooden as he walked past the two SeeDs into darkness.

*          *          *

"So…you've got your first recruit." Angel said, looking up at Zell from his grip around her. The Librarian loved sitting with Zell in the Training Centre, even if it was to watch how the recruit settled back into SeeD life.

The Training Centre was full of students and SeeDs who had followed Julius in from when Balamb Garden had picked them up outside the city gates. Many people had wanted to see the man who had beaten and created many of the martial arts records that the Gardens had today…but many had also come to see the man who had abandoned SeeD in their darkest hour, leaving them to selfishly follow his own goals.

Zell and Angel sat upon a large rock that overlook the Trainings Centre's trees. A large wave of foliage spanned over their view, the small clearing the only break in a good hundred metres. Zell sighed, watching Julius as he stripped down to the waist, working through his arms and torso in training, the wire-frame glasses still perched on the bridge of his nose. "Yeah…but I wish he had come on his own free will. I wish I didn't have to use the strong hand tactics."

"It's part of being a SeeD, hon." Angel reassured. "It was either this, or the court-martial before the Garden Council. At least this way he'll be able to help his girlfriend…" Her voice trailed off.

Zell nodded, silent for a moment, before pulling her closer in. "You think she's too far gone."

"I…I checked the records when you were gone. Even with the freezing process, she had been dead for a good day before he had been able to escape with her. Nobody's ever been revived after the initial ten-minute period…and the only person ever revived longer then that was you. And you were only gone for half and hour." She sniffed. "It's sad…to know that he won't achieve his goal…"

Zell gave her a gentle squeeze. "Oh, come on. Don't say that. Who knows what we'll find when we go through the Arch. We might find a universe that's mastered immortality! He'll achieve his dream then! Or maybe I'll talk to Rinoa! If she could heal me when Sam got me back then, I'm sure she could do something for Julius…"

Angel's heavy sigh showed her obvious doubt, and Zell kissed the back of her neck. "It'll be fine, hon. Trust me…"

Suddenly there was a shout, and Zell looked down to see Julius standing upright, his training forgotten as he watched at a man in the crowd. The man surged forward, pushing the others out of his way to stand before Julius. "You're Julius Garner, right?"

"That's me." Julius said quietly.

"You're the one who took the files from my brother's unit modules. They walked into a warehouse in Timber expecting to go up against ten men!"

"What's that got to with me?" Julius said in a bored tone.

"It was a hundred men, you fucker! My brother was captured and tortured before they were able to rescue him – and even then, he died! You gotta pay!!"

Julius shook his head. "I…I'm sorry." He muttered, turning to walk back to where he had been.

The man was enraged. "Hey! Don't walk away from me, you son-of-a-bitch!! I got a score to settle with you!!"

Zell looked down at Angel. "Hon? Do you mind if I…?"

"No. Go do your thing. I'll be waiting here." Angel said with a smile, giving him a small kiss on the cheek as he crawled past her.

Down below, things were getting hairy. Zell recognised the angry man as Notie, one of his student best fighters. And he was getting angrier by Julius's lack of emotion. "Come on, you chicken shit! Fight me! Come on, hit me! I dare you!!"

He pushed Julius, making the smaller man stumble back. The eighteen-year-old Noties had a good hundred pounds on the thinner Julius, whose tanned body was lean and muscular, not big and bulky like Noties. Noties was good at fighting not only because he was stronger then most opponents, but also because he used his bulk to his advantage, allowing his weight to add speed to his punches when he threw them. His size disguised his speed, and even though Zell figured that Julius could stand up for himself, he also figured Noties would take a few chunks out of the older fighter before Zell got there to break them up.

"Hey…" He called out – too late.

Another push from Noties set Julius off. Spinning around Noties with the attack, Julius slammed his shoulder into the larger man's back, making him stumble forward. Taking advantage of the larger man's disadvantage, Julius crouched low and swept the floor with his foot, slashing the chunky man's feet out from under him.

There was a loud boom as Noties landed on his belly, and he rolled onto his back to get back up – to receive a knee to the stomach as Julius's launch up into the air ended with the desired attack. Noties coughed some blood up, the red spray making the small crowd gasp in shock as Julius rolled off his opponent, confident in his victory.

As he turned to move away, however, Noties jumped to his feet, his injury seeming not to faze him as he grasped the smaller man in a bear hug, lifting him up off the ground. There was a taut moment as his laughter echoed around the clearing, small cracking noises coming from the torso of Julius's body as Noties began to slowly squeeze the life out of him…

Before Julius seemed to brush the larger man off, easily pulling his arms out of the hold and landing on his feet. Noties could only watch in amazement as Julius turned, his fist pulled back – before it powered forward in one spectacular sucker-punch to the face, the hit sending the heavier man flying off into the foliage to slam into the Centre's wall, smashing straight through several trees and ricocheting off the adamantine-reinforced wall and skidding to a stop within the bushes.

Julius, seemingly unfazed from the attack, shook his hand and walked over to the large sack he had propped against a boulder on the edge of the clearing.

Zell watched as several students bent to pick up some rocks, and he moved over to one, grabbing him by the shirt and lifting him up off the ground. "Do it! I dare you to throw it! Go on! Just give me an excuse!!"

His own anger amazed him, but the boy, trembling, dropped the rock, his friends following suit.

Zell dumped the boy into his friend's arms, his voice a brutal snarl. "Go get Noties to the Infirmary, and tell him that if he _ever _does something like that again, he'll have to answer to me." He watched as the kids nodded ferociously, before running to where Noties lay unconscious.

Zell felt a small hand on his shoulder, and grabbed it, gripping it like a lifeline. "I'm sorry you had to see that, baby." He muttered, hearing Angel's sigh behind him.

"It's okay…" she said, squeezing his shoulder. "Are you going to go talk to him?"

He nodded. "Yeah…yeah I will."

*          *          *

Julius was moving through some hand movements, the fight forgotten already, when Zell walked up to him. "Sorry about that, man…" Zell said apologetically. "You know how it is…"

"I know all too well, Dincht." Julius muttered, stealing a glance at the smaller warrior. "But thanks for the sympathy."

Zell stood there, still feeling a little uneasy as he watched Julius move from hand movements into punches, his fists moving in blurs as he flicked them out at invisible opponents. Zell watched this for a few minutes, before clearing his throat. "Uhh…wanna spar?"

Julius paused in his routine, looking at the smaller man. "I've seen you on the TV, Zell. You're the best fighter in the world. And you wanna fight with me?"

"I didn't say fight. I said spar. There's a difference. You know, fight you connect, spar you don't?"

"I know what sparring is, Dincht. I knew before you were a seed in your father's sack."

Zell grinned. "Then let's go."

Julius looked at Zell, his eyes full of sadness – before a fist suddenly appeared in front of Zell's face, stopping mere millimetres from connecting. The gust of wind that followed the attack ruffled Zell's hair, but he didn't flinch – he simply crossed his arms. "Ok. How about some handicaps? I don't use my arms – that seem fair?"

Julius's smile grew larger as he lowered his fist. "You're the real thing, Dincht. Fine. You don't use your arms. _I'm_ all out."

*          *          *

Angel shook her head like a disappointed mother as Julius backed away from Zell, rolling his head on it's base and taking his stance. Zell simply stood still, his arms tightly crossed, smiling at the taller man. "You're such a show off some times, Zell…" She muttered, before sighing and raising her eyebrows. "I'd better go get Irvine and Selphie – if they miss this we'll never hear the end of it."

*          *          *

Julius took off, his fists flying in short flurries, the bursts of jabs easily dodged by Zell as he jumped and twisted away from the attacks, his body seeming to bend and duck with the rhythm of Julius's attacks. A sprawling dance, a myriad of movements, their bodies moving like liquid as the spar progressed, Julius's tireless attacks forcing Zell back inch by inch, until he had finally backed up against a tree…

Which was when he finally retaliated, a left hook suddenly stopped by Zell's shin as he lifted up, the block pulled off perfectly. They stood like that for a second, Julius's arm perfectly defended by Zell, who stood on one leg like he had been born that way. "Was wondering when you were going to get started." Julius muttered.

Zell's smile was huge. "Oh, you have no idea."

The blocking shin suddenly whipped out, the foot slashing across Julius's face cleanly, the perfect score. Julius stumbled to the side, whipping his body up to retaliate – to deflect a straight kick at the very last second!

Zell moved like greased lightening, his smile not wavering a bit as his feet moved in blurs, the right leg stabbing out in a mule kick before he attacked again with a double-whip, the calf rising to allow the shin to whip the foot out twice, the deadly attack just barely blocked by the now sweating Julius.

Spinning to the left, Zell crouched low – before jumping high in the air, his foot coming down on Julius's left shoulder. Julius only just read the attack, however, and rolled with it, the boot scraping down his back but not connecting completely.

Now behind Julius, Zell slashed out with a back kick, the attack slamming right into the hacker's back and sending his flying, skidding across the ground on his belly before gaining control of the skid, rolling with the momentum and flipping to his feet – to run forward, his feet pummelling the ground as his fist slashed through the air…

Zell turned, blinking in surprise as the fist smashed straight into his cheek, a look of shock on his face as he began to fall to the ground, everything moving slowly as the dirt came closer and closer…then everything sped back up again, his hand moving out and slapping against the floor, causing him to spin back to his feet – and smash a palm into Julius's chest.

The hacker went flying with the attack, not expecting such a quick recovery from such a powerful attack. Slamming into a tree trunk, he slid down to the ground, his breaths heavy, his face covered in sweat. He shook his head, looking up at Zell who looked down at his hand in mute shock, still in the same position he was in when the attack connected. "Hey…" Julius said, getting to his feet painfully. "I thought you said no hands."

Zell frowned, before shrugging with a smile. "Sorry, man. Reflex action, you know."

"Well, I know one thing. You're good. You're better then I expected. I threw everything I had at you, and still couldn't hit you."

Zell pointed up at the large bruise that was beginning to form on his face and grinned. "I don't know about you, but _this_ friggin hurt."

Julius smirked. "Sorry, man. Reflex action, you know."

Zell shook his head, chuckling as he shoved his hands in his pockets. He began to turn to see Irvine and Selphie run up behind a speechless crowd of spectators, Angel following breathlessly behind them.

"Oh! We missed it!!" Selphie squealed unhappily, stamping the ground with her foot.

Irvine scratched the back of his neck, before encircling the pouting Selphie in his embrace. "You win some, you lose some, babe. But I bet it was pretty good!!"

Angel ran up to Zell, placing a gentle hand on his bruise. "My gods! What happened!?"

Zell smiled down at her. "Nothing…we just got a bit carried away, that's all…" He turned to Julius, standing a way behind him, his chest heaving from the fight. "Hey Julius? Fancy grabbing a bite to eat with us?"

Zell frowned as Julius's expression changed from acceptance to a hollow emptiness as he looked at Irvine and Selphie, then Zell and Angel. "No thanks. I still have some stuff to do here." He muttered, before walking slowly back to the large swag he had left near the boulder.

"What's his problem?" Selphie muttered, looking up at Irvine, who shrugged.

Zell knew the look. He had seen it before…in the mirror. _"Hey Zell, Irvine and I are going to the movies! Wanna tag?", "Zell, Squall and I are going to lunch. Wana come?"_ Julius didn't want to be with other happy couples when he had no-one himself. Third-Wheel Syndrome, Zell called it. It was like having an empty place in the pit of his stomach whenever he went out with a happy couple – the knowledge that you had nobody to hold yourself almost unbearable.

"Leave him alone, Selphie…" Zell muttered, turning to his old friend. "He's had a rough time…"

Selphie shrugged, before dragging Irvine in the direction of the doorway. Angel simply looked up at Zell with a knowing nod and a gentle smile before following her friends, beckoning for Zell to follow.

Zell lagged back slightly, looking back at Julius. Taking a swig from his water bottle, the hacker seemed to place a gentle hand on the person-sized swag…before spitting the water out as if it had a bad taste and resumed his training.

*          *          *

In a dark room, a man and his commander looked down at the screen as Zell walked off.

"Commander Carpenter, tell me you saw that!" The man who was sitting said excitedly. "He actually punched Zell Dincht!!"

"Don't get too excited, boy." Carpenter said with a smile, patting the boy on his shoulder. "They got carried away, and Zell was handicapped. If it were a full out battle, Zell would definitely win. This only reinforces Garner's placing in the team."

"Yes sir…but do you think he'll be able to handle the pressure? I mean…I've heard he's pretty unstable, sir. I hear he carries his dead girlfriend in that big sack…I've heard he's on a quest to revive her."

"I've heard it too, son." Carpenter said solemnly. "And there's no way he'll succeed in this lifetime. But he's sound in the mind enough to be a good asset to the mission…and he'll follow his orders through. I'm sure of it. A SeeD will always be a SeeD."

*          *          *

Off in a distant Universe, a raven-haired beauty sat upon a throne, her elegant hands draped casually on the intricately carved armrests, surveying all she ruled, her large white wings ruffling impatiently every now and then. Her dress was the softest blue silk, draped over her slim figure, allowing enough to entrance and covering enough to entice.

_A man clad in shining armour, a lion's head on his left shoulder-plate. A large gunblade strapped to his waist, walked up to her confidently, removing his helm to reveal a shock of wavy brown hair and a handsome face with a scar crossing from the left down between his eyes. His grey eyes locked on her smoking white ones as he bowed to kiss her delicate hand, his long flowing red cape billowing out behind him._

_Her voice simply entered his mind – **What is your report, my Knight?**_

_"We've conquered yet another Universe, my lady." Squall muttered, his lifeless voice spilling the information out. "They fell without resistance."_

**_And the one who plans to deter us?_**

"They have been infiltrated, as you have ordered, and will be led astray. News from the spy suggests of a force being built of powerful warriors."

**_They will not succeed without weapons._**

_"Their force will be made of fighters, my lady, martial artists of the highest skill. One of which is said to be the most powerful in that universe."_

_The Sorceress narrowed her smoking white eyes before standing, the Knight standing as she did. Moving forward, the Sorceress walked out into the sunlight, the rays making her silky dress shimmer like magic. Walking to the battlements she looked down, her Knight standing vigilantly beside her. Her wings beat slowly, almost in thought, before she turn to him and placing a gentle hand on his chest plate, her smoking white eyes turning up to him lovingly. **You love me, do you not? **Her voices pulsed, a small amount of timidness within the commanding words._

The Knight looked down at her, taking the small hand in his shining silver gauntlet. "With all my heart and soul, my lady, forever and ever." He said, staring deep into her eyes.

_The Sorceress nodded slowly, before easing herself gently into his metallic embrace, her white wings folding behind her in content as she looked down at the world below her._

*          *          *

_Well, how did you like that? Got you hooked yet? Got a mission to cover, a mole to uncover, and a kind of twisted love story happening…yeesh, this is going to be good!!_

_To ShootingStar – the way I write my novels is the way I write them. You cannot change that…however, I do see where you're coming from. In Tournament the only really graphic scene that comes to my mind is Grey's death – and even then I could have really made it chunky. I do not go over the top with blood and guts, but that kind of violence will feature in this fic. I mean, it's one of the few real things I can hold onto in this kind of story…beside gravity and human emotion._

_I myself aren't a very violent person – I'm actually quite placid, favouring to talk my way out of a volatile situation before resorting to using my knuckles. But, if pushed too far, I have been known to fight – and win –most battles. That is why Zell gets injured in my fics, and why violence is a part of my repertoire. It adds a sense of realism to the story._

_To everybody else, know this – you've read my warning in Questions Questions. I say again – you don't like graphic violence, do not read this fic. If you don't mind a little blood and bone, then read on._


	3. Recruit Number Two

Ch 3 – Recruit Number Two.

There was a knock on Squall's door. He looked up from the paperwork he was doing, his grey eyes locking on the door, hoping the person who would walk in wouldn't give him any more paperwork. "Come in." He called.

The door opened, and Zell poked his head in. "Busy, dude?"

"I wish I wasn't. But come in anyways."

Zell nodded, walking into the room and shutting the door behind him. Walking over to the desk, he plopped himself into one of the chairs before the desk, placing his hands behind his head and smiling at Squall in a 'you'll never guess what I know' kind of way.

Squall shook his head, looking down at his papers. "Let me guess. You've figured out who contestant number two will be."

Zell's look of contentment took a nosedive, and he lowered his arms, clicking his fingers. "Shit." He muttered. He hated it when Squall guessed what he was about to say.

Squall smiled slightly, looking up at the warrior. "Well? Aren't you going to tell me who it is?"

Zell still looked slightly sullen, but leaned forward. "It's a woman. She's supposedly the best thief in the entire world. From the sounds of things, it seems like she'd be pretty good on the team."

Squall paused in his paperwork, leaning back in his chair, a frown on his scarred face. "Zell…Garden doesn't allow criminals to participate in their missions. It's just not done."

"Oh, come on! What about Julius? He's a criminal."

"Yes, but he's also ex-SeeD, A-Grade no less. We know he lives his life by the rules and regulations we apply. We can trust him…sort of."

"So, you'll trust a hacker who got me killed, but you wont trust a chick who steals things….I cant believe I just said that…"

Squall picked up his pen. "In a nutshell."

Zell leaned back in his chair, letting his breath out in a long, loud sigh. "You sure? I mean, this chick sounds _really_ good."

Squall rolled his eyes. "Unless you capture her and strike a deal with her, you can't really do anything about it, can you…" His voice trailed off as he saw the look in Zell's eyes. He bolted out of his seat, pointing a finger at Zell menacingly. "No." he stated.

Zell tried to keep the smug smile off his face and held his hands up. "What?"

"Julius is an exception. Garden wont accept dealing with thieves – even if it means saving the world."

"Maybe it will." A commanding voice said.

Both men turned to see Commander Carpenter standing in the doorway. Immediately they snapped to attention, their hands rigidly forming the SeeD salute.

Carpenter walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. His tailor made suit rested snugly on him, a leather briefcase in his hands. He looked more like a businessman then the leader of the most powerful mercenary force in the known world. "At ease, boys. I'm not here for an inspection, or anything."

Zell and Squall relaxed, and Squall walked around the desk to face Carpenter. "How can we help you, sir?" he asked.

Carpenter placed a hand on Squall's shoulder. "Commander Leonheart, the mission that Zell is on is vital to the survival of this universe and countless others. I'm pretty sure that allowing a few outsiders into SeeD ranks for a little while wont be too bad."

"Sir…" Squall protested meekly, "An ex-SeeD I can handle – but an expert thief?"

"Squall…sometimes rules have to be broken. You of all people know that."

Squall shook his head, before nodding. "Very well. I'll help however I can, sir."

Carpenter smiled. "Good." He turned to Zell. "Now, about your first recruit…"

"Julius Garner, Sir." Zell said. "He's one of the best martial artists out there, sir. He took down our crack SeeDs when they raided his joint. Plus, he's proven his skills to us as a hacker numerous times…from the defence. But, I'm sure that when we finish this thing, he'll return to SeeD."

"Only for his girlfriend." Carpenter said quietly, looking down at the ground.

"…Yeah." Zell said, equally quietly. He had to admit – the entire notion of reviving a woman after being dead and frozen for a full day was, in the very least, insanity at it's best. Zell looked up, his words soft. "But all he needs, sir, is hope. It's been fuelling his fire all these years. I'm sure it'll get him through this."

"I hope so…for all our sakes." Carpenter muttered, his voice growing grim. "We've had some people come through the Arch."

Both Squall and Zell blinked. "What?" They asked simultaneously.

"They were carrying weapons – our SeeDs stationed just outside the Arch had a rough time defeating them, but they finally managed it – but all the people we've sent through with weaponry, or any metal for that matter, have all lost it by the time they got to the other side."

"Wait a moment – you've sent people through Universal Compression already?" Zell asked, his voice incredulous. "Why the hell did you do that?"

Carpenter's voice was ice cold. "All the men that went through were ready for anything, and were fully briefed on your experiences within Time Compression. They were ready for anything…except for the losing their weapons bit." He shook his head, crossing his arms. "Only five out of the party of ten came back. Most had only just escaped with their lives – and by only using magic. Which is why we need people who don't need weaponry."

Squall held up a hand. "Hold on. you said something about people coming through? Into our world?"

"Yes. Just after the remainders of the party came back, three foreign bodies suddenly came through." Walking over to the desk, he placed his briefcase on it and flicked the switched to the left and right of the opening, the locks releasing. Opening the briefcase, he pulled out a small folder, handing it to Zell.

Zell opened the folder cautiously, Squall coming around the desk to look over his shoulder.

Within the folder were several black and white photos of men that looked much like knights in shining silver armour, their metal coverings glittering menacingly in the Archways fluxuating dimensional light. One carried a large sword, chunky and heavy-looking, but hefted it on his shoulder as if it weight like nothing. Another carried twin _Katanas_, the Old World swords, slender with a slight curve. The last held a large axe, the edges dripping with blood from whoever he had slain before the picture was taken.

"They killed everybody who came out, selecting them from the groups and slaying them mercilessly, before trying to escape back through the Arch. It was only when we retaliated that they attacked us fully." He placed a hand on Zell's shoulder. "These guys are_ mean._ It took three fully charged Flares to bring one to his knees. It was lucky that Emily was there…"

Zell's blood ran cold. Emily Strange. The Goth with a tendency to kiss people – the end result of such a magical kiss being having your chest explode and your head blow up. "What was _she_ doing there?" He growled, his voice like cold steel.

"Now, now, Zell. She's a SeeD. She only did what she was told to do."

"What? Allow her brother to torture me? To nearly kill me? You told her to do that?"

Zell's fist crumpled the file into a ball, and Carpenter cleared his throat. "Control yourself, Zell. I'm pretty sure, under similar circumstances, you would have done the same."

"Not in a million years. Sir." Zell muttered.

Carpenter cleared his throat once more, before retrieving the now destroyed folder from Zell's hand. "Once you recruit this…thief, come and see me at Galbadia Garden. And bring your recruit with you. We'll wish to have them examined both physically as well as psychologically."

With that he closed and retrieved his briefcase, turned on his heel, and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Zell pointed his finger at the spot where Carpenter had stood. "Sir, you're a son of a bitch who's life is hanging on a thread only because you're the only thing standing between here and the destruction of Gaia, and I'll make it my personal objective to kick your ass once I get back from this shitty mission." Clearing his throat, feeling pissed off and irritated, he turned to Squall. "I so should've said that."

"I'm sure he would have taken it gracefully…" Squall agreed, before frowning slightly. "Then have you thrown into the stocks for insubordination."

"Them's the breaks, huh dude." Zell muttered, placing his hands in his pockets before kicking the floor with his boot. "I'm going to go find this chick."

*          *            *

Night time.

Deling Presidential palace. Supposedly considered to carry the most sophisticated security system in the western world, it was a fortress – high walls, guards patrolling, spotlights, the occasional watch dog, laser beams – everything that a person could think of to protect the most important man in Galbadia.

That, and his masses of money and personal items in the most elaborate vault known to man.

Just outside one of the many windows, a silhouette lowered itself down on a rope like a spider from the roof, hanging upside down like a monkey. The figure, perfectly concealed in the shadows, reached into a small pouch strapped to it's back.

Pulling a small item from the pouch, the figure held it to the windowsill, setting it onto the metal sill firmly and pressing a button – before the item beeped, killing the vibration sensor on the large panes.

Replacing the item, the figure pulled out another one, this one looking much like a compass. Placing a little suction cup on one of the larger panes, the figured squeezed a little pressure ball, the cup sucking onto the pane, holding fast. Twisting the cutting implement down, the figure lengthened the cutter out slightly – before switching on the laser cutter, turning the bright blue energy beam around the pane, cutting out a human-sized hole.

Pulling the circular cut out of the pane, the figure held it out beneath it and allowed the cup to release, dropping the round glass.

It fell a good three stories before landing in some bushes softly, the only sound being the glass brushing through some leaves. A guard came to investigate the noise, but found nothing.

The figure wriggled through the hole, before releasing itself from the rope holding it up, allowing the person to drop down to the floor silently.

*          *            *

Moving through the room, a sort of dining room it seemed, the figure came across a door, trying the doorknob. 

Locked.

One lock pick and a gentle click later, the door was open and the figure stealthily crept across the hall, tip-toeing straight past a guard, oblivious to his obvious incompetence as he looked down the hall to the main entrance.

The figure hid behind a large statue of a former president, the brightly lit hallway making the person feel uncomfortable. Looking across her flank, the person pressed a small button on a wrist-com, the screen flashing into view.

The person checked the digital map, running a finger over where she was supposed to go, before switching it off and cracking his knuckles.

The guard, hearing the noise, turned with a confused look beneath his helmet – before a fist suddenly smashed into his stomach, blowing the wind out of him. A swift knee to the head knocked him out cold, even before he could drop his gun.

After the person had dragged the guard to the dining room and locked the door, she tiptoed silently down the hallways, counting the doors to his right as he went.

Finally reaching door number three, she stopped and crouched, looking left and right for anybody coming from around any corners or out any doors. Looking at the door, he suddenly realised that it was slightly different from the rest.

The rest of the doors were simple thick wood, easy enough to smash if the figure had to escape. This one, however, had been painted to fool an amateur, the surface looking wooden – but the key card reader and indents around the frame of the door suggesting a metal of some kind.

Muttering a small curse the black figure reached into a different pouch, pulling out a small card with a small plug coming from it. Running the card halfway through the key-card reader, the figure plugged the lead into her wrist-comp, the tiny computer flashing into life once more.

A few minutes of unnecessary and risky waiting later, the comp vibrated softly, and the door slid open with a satisfying whir.

Retrieving the equipment, the person stepped into the room, the door sliding shut behind her. She would be able to open it again with the key card when she needed to leave.

The room was huge – a good twenty meters by six – and the floor leading to the other end was completely bare. It was completely pitch black as the door closed, the only light coming from the person's wrist-comp.

The person crouched once more and reached into another pouch, pulling out what looked like swimming goggles. Placing the goggles over her balaclava-clad head, she switched them on, the Thermal imaging showing the red laser travelling up and around the room.

It was like an intricate pattern – criss-crossing in some places, some close to the ground, other high above the floor – it looked daunting, even to the figure in black, and she began to have doubts…

…for about five seconds.

Stepping forward, looking left and right for any other place to infiltrate, the figure leapt up and through a thin hole in the first net, landing on the balls of her feet lightly, looking up to see the laser on the second set a mere centimetre from her face. Lowering herself to the floor slowly, she lay down on his belly and scooted forward, her lithe body not lifting off the floor an inch as she slid forward under two other rows of beams, her considerable chest barely keeping her back from skimming one of the beams.

Coming to a small break in the rows, the figure stood, letting out a breath before continuing. Looking over to the left, she saw a small break near the top of the roof. Jumping up and over the break, she landed – her legs sliding open as a laser stopped mere millimetres from her groin.

Cursing softly, she lifted her left leg slowly – to see a beam blocking her path. Lowering her left leg, she lifted her right up and over the beam, allowing her to stand at ease.

Sliding under the final row of lasers the figure finally reached the end wall.

Standing and leaning against it, she took in a few breaths before turning and placing a hand on it, feeling it's texture with her gloved hand. Moving down the wall, she continued to run her hand over the smooth wall, her hand never straying from her slim hip's height – before she finally found a rough section.

Kneeling, she pushed the rough section of the wall in slightly. The section moved in slowly, the small square about the size of a man's hand. Pushing it in fully, the section suddenly slid into the wall, revealing a glass panel. '_Good Evening, President Justice. Please enter your retinal scan now.' _The computer's voice, a woman's charming tones, asked politely.

"Okay…" The black figure said, pressing a different button on the goggles before leaning her head forward, pushing her left eye into the small square slot.

A tiny red ray scanned her eye up and to the left, before there was a tinny chime. _'Thank you, Mr. President.'_ The computer said gladly, fooled by the impression the goggles had made on the woman's eyes.

"You're welcome, Voice." The girl murmured as the large wall suddenly rose, revealing a large, round vault door, complete with around twenty sealing locks. Made out of twelve inch thick adamantine, the figure was surprised to see a simple lock and tumble dial lock on the door.

Snorting and kneeling next to the dial, she reached into another pouch and pulled out a stethoscope – the ones doctors use to listen to people's heartbeats.

Pulling off her goggles and returning them to their pouch before lifting the balaclava up and over her face to reveal her small ears, she put the stethoscopes' to the door and listened in as she turned the dial slowly, her ears straining for…

…After turning the dial to the left for forty-eight degrees, there was a small click from within the large door. She smiled cheekily, before turning the dial to the right, also hearing for another click.

Eight clicks and a thud of a latch falling later, the twenty sealing locks thumped out of their sockets stubbornly, the humungous door opening itself slowly with a loud click. Gripping the side of the vault door, the woman opened it wide, the big door swinging out to reveal…

…nothing.

The woman blinked twice. All that effort – all that stealth – all that planning and payoffs and god knows what else – for an empty room.

The lights from within the room suddenly came on, blinding the woman suddenly, and she jumped into the vault, pulling the vault door closed desperately, leaving it open only an inch.

The sound of the door opening outside chilled her to the bone – the loud 'cling' of the laser being switched off froze her nerves. What she didn't expect was for her captor to taunt her. "Hello?"

She stayed still. If she could only taint the man closer, she could at least knock his ass out and escape.

"I know you're in there, you know. I've been monitoring your entrance ever since you scaled the wall."

_Shit!!_ She thought to herself, her dark blue eyes darting left and right as she tried to figure out what to do next.

"You're _way_ better then I thought. I almost lost you on the roof – but I spotted you again when you dropped the cut glass. Almost missed that, too. I saw the guard walking over to check it out, and figured you would have been trying to get into one o fthe windows. Luck, really."

The woman frowned. _Why is he taunting me like this? Why doesn't he just come over and get this over with??_

"Hello? Are you there?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm here, you nugget."

"Oh. Good. I thought you might have taken a cyanide pill or something silly like that. You'd be no use to me then."  
She scoffed at the accusation that she might had killed herself. "What a stupid idea! What kind of idiot are you? Really…and what do you mean, 'no use to you'? I'm warning you, I'm armed!"

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"No, you're not!"

"_Yes, _I am! Look, I think I'd know wether or not I'm armed!"

"If you were armed you would have killed the guard in the hallway – but that's not the way you work, is it Trish?"

Trish's blood ran cold once more. "How do you…I mean, that's not my name!"

"Of course it is. Trisha Jones, known to the thieves' guild as Trish The Dish. Said to have robbed several wealthly estates out of a lot of expensive stuff, as well as boasted to have been the only cat burglar to ever make it in and out of the Esthar Presidential pad unscathed and unseen."

Trish shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Great. You know me. You want a medal or something?"  
"Not really. Just your services, that's all."

Trish frowned. "What do you mean?"

The man sighed impatiently. "Look, can you come out of there? It's annoying to talk to someone behind twelve inches of adamantine."

"I'm not coming out until you leave."

There was a small pause, before she heard the man walk forward. Before she knew it, the door began to swing shut, the opening between the vault and the vault door closing rapidly.

"Hey! Wait!!" She squealed, quickly rolling out of the vult before it slammed shut with a resounding bang. She ripped the balaclava off her face, letting her long blond hair spill out around her black skin-tight jumpsuit, and stood defiantly. "What the hell are you trying to do, suffocate me or something? I swear, I'm gonna kick your ass five ways till Sunday, you blond son of a…" Her voice trailed off as she saw the face of her mystery man, the black tattoo licking up the side of his face, the cheeky grin as he pushed the door shut with one hand as if it weighed nothing at all.

"G'day. Or should I say, good evening." Zell said, barely able to keep his laughter in.

Trish pointed a finger at him, lowering her guard stupidly. "You're…you're…" she gasped like a fish out of water.

"Oh, hey, Zell Dincht, how ya doin?" Zell said, wiping his right hand on his shorts and holding it out.

Trish blinked – before looking over at the door leading out, the big metal frame invitingly open. Turning quickly, she bolted for the exit.

Zell sighed and shook his head. "Geez, nobody wants to shake my hand, even when I'm famous…" He muttered, reaching into a pocket and pressing a button on a remote.

A latticework of adamantine slid down over the opening, trapping the two inside the room. Trish arrived at the doorway just too late, slamming into the net and springing back. Regaining her footing, she rushed forward, slamming a fist into the network of metal – which gave the hand slack, allowing it to push out before being repelled back.

Trish looked at the latticework dumbfounded, before spinning on a heel to see Zell leaning against the vault door calmly, hands in pockets, a small smile on his face. She put up her dukes and shifted forward slightly, her words tumbling out defiantly. "Okay. Fine. You want it rough, you got it rough. I'll kick your ass so hard you'll be picking your teeth out of your butt for the next fortnight. I'll slap you around like a redheaded stepchild. I'll whip you so bad you won't wanna look at a girl for the rest of your life."

Zell rolled his eyes, not moving from his spot, and sighed. "Do you seriously think you'll be able to beat me?"

"Come and find out, tough guy. I bet you're scared. You're scared of the little girl, huh? Afraid of me, huh? Or maybe you have a thing about hitting girls? Yeah, that sounds like you."

"Hyne, for a cat burglar you sure can talk. Just shut it for a second and listen will you?"

"Let me out first, then you can talk all you want."

"Trisha!!" Zell yelled suddenly, slamming a fist into the vault door, a large dent suddenly smashed into the twelve inch adamantine. "I'm not letting you go wether you like it or not, so shut the hell up and listen!!"

Trish looked at the huge dent that had suddenly appeared in the vault door and shut her mouth, lowering her hands meekly.

Zell rolled his eyes, allowing his body to hang limp for a second. "_Thank _you…Hyne, you're just like Rinoa, you know that? Sheesh…okay. I'm not going to take you to the cops. I'm not going to turn you into the Galbadian guards. I'm _even _ not going to knock your ass out and throw you in the SeeD detention centre…"

"What are you going to do then? You're not going to rape me are you? Cause I'm warning you, I'm not afraid to poke eyes…"

"Trish!!"

"Okay, okay!! What are you going to do, then?"

Zell's smile was broad and wide. "I'm going to employ you."

Trish looked at hi for a second – before face-palming. "Oh, piss off…" she muttered to herself.

*          *            *

Selphie was reading a magazine in her room, lying on her belly on her bed, when there was a knock on her door. "Coming!!" She cried, flinging the magazine over her shoulder and rolling off the bed to land on the floor with a loud thump, before springing to her feet and skipping to the door.

She palmed the door open and smiled at Zell. "Hiya Zell!! Who'se the girl with you?"

Zell rubbed the back of his neck and smiled awkwardly. "Uh…hi, Selphie. This is Trisha Jones – I've just recruited her for the Compression mission." He muttered, flicking his thumb over at the girl behind him.

Trish was looking around the Garden dorm hallway with amazement, her mouth wide open as she looked out the hallways window. "We're actually moving! This is incredible!!"

Zell looked at her as if she had never been in a mercenary school that flew all across the world and shook his head dismissively, before turning to Selphie. "Anywho, I was wondering if she could borrow some of your clothes? You're both about the same measurements and stuff…"

Trish suddenly elbowed Zell in the back, grinning at Selphie. "He had to ask me my measurement, and he goes 'Hey! That's just like Selphie!! You guys got almost _everything_ in the same size!!'"

Zell blinked, watching as Selphie blushed hotly. "Hey, I did not! I just asked her if she was a small or a medium, that's all!! Look, can she borrow some or not?"

Selphie shrugged off the comment made by Trish and smiled up at Zell. "Yeah, if she wants."

"Sweet…" Trish muttered, brushing past Zell and walking into Selphie's room. "I've been wanting to get out of this damned cat-burglar suit all the way here…" She began to take off the skin tight shirt, before realising that Zell was still there. "Well, go on, vamoose you pervert!!"

Selphie smiled. "Yeah! Vamoose!!"

Zell rolled his eyes and leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms defiantly. "Not until she give me back my wallet."

Trish blushed and pulled the item from one of her pockets, passing it to Selphie who passed it to Zell. He opened it and looked inside. "The Gil too." He said tiredly.

"Hyne, you're no fun!!" Trish muttered, pulling out the wad of cash she had stashed and passing it to Selphie who passed it to Zell.

Zell took the money back with a smile, before stepping away from the door. "I'll be waiting outside, Trish. And Selphie, watch your stuff! She flitched my wallet three times on the way here!!"

And then the door closed.

Selphie turned to Trish slowly, who had opened her dresser drawer and was pulling out items of clothing. "Hyne, don't you wear anything black?" Trish muttered as she went through her blouses.

*          *            *

Well, how's that? I had lots of fun with this chapter – had a bit of trouble at the start, but we'll be finding out about those guys later on.

I'm going to have so much fun with Trish – it's gonna be a blast!!


	4. Checking The Goods

Ch 4 – Checking The Goods

Trisha walked out of Selphie's room wearing a skimpy black top and a grey pair of short shorts, her equipment stuffed into her tiny leather bag she was carrying at the time of her…'employment'. She still wore the black boots she wore, the dark leather going halfway up her shin. She pivoted on the spot in front of Zell, looking up at him and batting her eyelids. "What do you think, Mr. Dincht?" She asked seductively. "Is it me?"

Zell looked at her, his face deadpan. "…Yes." He agreed reluctantly, much to her delight. "I'm amazed Selphie has clothing like…that."

"Yeah…she was amazed too."

Zell rolled is eyes and gestured for her to follow him. "Well, its about nine-thirty now…we can get something to eat, or I can show you to your room, or we can go see Squall – he's the guy in charge – or we can…"

Trish interrupted, sighing audibly. "What do you SeeDs do for fun around here?"

Zell shook his head. Her attitude was – to say the least – nigh to unbearable. "WE have a quad, where people meet up and where most functions are held…there's the cafeteria, where they hold movies every second night…the library has some good books and magazines…" He looked at her as she looked at him with her own deadpan stare. He shrugged. "Then, of course, there's the Training Centre."

"What's that?"

Zell couldn't help but smile as he took the nearest corridor out of the dorms.

*          *            *

Trish walked through the lush greenery of the Training Centre in awe. She had never seen such plant life within such a huge enclosed area before. "This is…amazing!!" She breathed, kneeling and brushing her fingers lightly over a small bush. "It feels completely real!"

"Of course it's real!" Zell muttered. "The only thing artificial are the monsters – and they are more real then any plant."

Trish blinked, before standing slowly. "Monsters? What kind of monsters?"

Zell grinned. "Grats are the most common, and there are a few T-Rexaurs stomping around…I've also fought a Granaldo and a few Armadodos, but they are _really _rare…" He saw the look on the girls face and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She said a little too quickly. "I…just don't like monsters. That's all."

Zell snorted. "From what I've heard, you can hold your own in a battle. I even hear you can use Blue magic…is that true?"

"Some…" she said mysteriously…before someone cried out.

"What the hell?" Zell muttered as he ran for where the sound came from.

*          *            *

Bursting through some ferns, followed closely by Trish, Zell found three students – facing a T-Rexaur. One of the students, her staff lying beside her as she slumped to the floor, was unconscious. One of the others ran over to her, crouching down quickly to see if she was still breathing, tossing his sword aside as he felt for a pulse.

The remaining student gulped, stealing a glance behind him as the T-Rexaur advanced slowly. "Uh, guys? A little help?" he cried, looking up into the massive maw of the dinosaur…

…before the head was smashed to the side powerfully, Instructor Dincht suddenly appearing to the left of the dinosaur's head, his boot burying itself into the skull – before the massive monster was sent skidding away to crash into the bushes along the outskirts of the clearing.

Zell turned to the students, throwing a hand out to wave them away. "Go! Now! We'll handle this!!"

Trish ran up beside him and took her stance, cricking her head to the left to loosen her neck muscles, an audible crack emitting from the manoeuvre.

The student nodded stupidly, sheathing his sword before running to his comrade and helping the wounded up, running for it.

Zell stole a glance at Trish, a huge smile suddenly on his face. "You wanna show me what you got?"

"Piss off!! I'm a lover, not a fighter!" She snorted – but held her stance all the same.

"Fine…I can handle that…"

Suddenly grasping her by the shoulder, he held her fast, not letting her go. "Hey, what's the big idea?!" She screamed as she fought desperately against his iron grip, his fingers digging into her shoulder painfully. "Hey! Let go, Dincht! That hurts!!"

"I'm sorry…" Zell said, a tinge of sadness mixed with seriousness in his voice. "But you need to be tested. I've tested your agility – now we have to see wether or not you can use it in battle." He looked down at her. "Come on. You're stronger then you let on, I can tell, believe me."

"Let me go, you friggin nutbag!! Only idiots take on T-Reaxurs by themselves!! You're completely insane!!"

Zell smirked. "Probably…" Looking up, he watched as the T-Rexaur staggered out of the woods sluggishly, shaking it's massive head and trying to take it's bearings. "Now's the time. Go do your thing."

Shoving her forward suddenly, she fell forward, the ground coming up fast – before she threw her hands out, catching the ground and flipping over, landing on the balls of her feet expertly – to look up at the T-Reaxur's reptilian eye as it lowered it's huge head to study her.

She froze insanely, her legs simply not wanting to move. She looked down at them cautiously, her eyes pleading for the feet to beat. _C'mon! You've run faster from tougher scrapes then this! Move it, Trish!!_

The T-Rexaur roared suddenly, the blast of dinosaur breath blowing her blond hair back, and Trish finally found her land legs, spinning and running desperately in the opposite direction – to be caught by Zell, his hand slamming straight into her face and flinging her back into the direction of the monster.

Suddenly forgetting her position she was up on her feet and in his face in less then a second. "What the hell are you trying to do, kill me?!"

Zell's eyes were filled with confusion. "What are you talking about, Trisha? I wont let the thing kill you."

She blinked suddenly. "That's right…you need me for this mission thing, right?" Smiling mischievously, she took a step back, crossing her arms. "Fine then. Save me, hero."

Zell looked up at the massive dinosaur as it pounded it's way forward. "Trish…" he said seriously.

"No. I'm not gonna fight, and you can't make me. So we'll just both stand here until it goes away, or until one of us dies. And since you're the one with the most experience, I'd say us dying is rather slim, doncha think?"

Her arrogance amazed him, and he shook his head, taking a step back as the dinosaur advanced closer. "Trish…I'd say I wouldn't let it kill you…I'm fully stocked with Full Lifes…but I'm partial to maiming if it gets you to show me your fighting prowess."

Trish's eyes suddenly widened, her attempt to call his bluff backfiring. "Oh shit…" was all she could mutter as she spun…

…to be swallowed whole.

*          *            *

_"Trish!!"_ Zell screamed as he watched Trish get snapped up by the T-Rexaur's gaping mouth, the teeth closing near the ground where her feet had been, before it lifted it's head and allowed her to move down it gullet in one smooth go.

Stepping forward, Zell unleashed a Punch Rush, the three-hit combo slamming straight into the dinosaurs stomach, creating three neat dents within the monster's armour – but not enough to make the high level dinosaur to cough up it's latest meal.

Recovering from the attack almost as quickly as it had swallowed Trish, the T-Rexaur turned on it's taloned feet, it's tail whipping out to slam into Zell's side, knocking the shocked fighter off his feet and sailing straight through the air, slamming straight through several trees to lay still.

Blinking groggily, Zell lifted his head and shook it to clear the chocobos dancing across his vision – before he saw the giant maw of the dinosaur flying straight for him.

Quickly flipping up and off his hand, Zell back flipped through the trees as the dinosaur continued to chase him, the fighter having to rebound and ricochet through the foliage before finally coming to a clearing.

Landing on the balls of his feet, he quickly scanned the area – to see another person close by, this one fighting a Grat. Not having any time to register who it was, Zell turned to see the T-Rexaur with the dented face slam through the ferns and into the clearing, opening it's tooth-filled mouth ad roaring for all it was worth.

Skipping back three steps, Zell held his arms up and out as his Shell formed around him, the T-Rexaur's Quake suddenly disrupting the ground around him and the other fighter, causing the two warriors to struggle for balance – but nothing else.

The magical attack over, Zell flicked his eyes over – to see a very shaken up and dazed Grat retrieve it's footing. "Sorry, buddy…" Zell muttered to the person who had been training, walking over and grabbing the Grat's tentacles in one hand. "But I need to borrow this."

Gripping the bemused Grat's tentacles with both hands, Zell began to swing the monster around and around throughout the air, the momentum picking up until it was a blur in his hands. The T-Rexaur advanced, it's teeth bared – to be smashed across the head with another monster, the dinosaur reeling with the attack.

Still spinning the Grat over his head, Zell stepped forward, slamming the Grat into the great reptile's head once more, a sickening crack signifying something decent breaking, the dinosaur's roar also signifying that. It's head lolling to the side limply, the magnificent beast fell with a mighty boom, the head flopping to the side awkwardly – it's neck was broken.

Flinging the Grat away like a hammer – where it squished into the roof harmlessly – Zell ran forward, laying a hand on the fallen monster's belly.

"What happened?" The other person asked, and Zell turned to see Julius, his body severely bruised and his nose bleeding – but not seeming any worse for wear.

"You've been in here for two whole days?" Zell asked incredulously – before waving it off. "Never mind. Trish was swallowed by this big bastard – but I don't know how to open him up without cutting him in two."

Julius stepped forward, placing a hand on the stomach – before balling his left hand, the fist suddenly becoming covered in sharp iciles. "I cut, you draw." Julius muttered, leaning in and slamming the ice into a soft part between the scales.

Zell leapt up onto the top of the beast and pulled up on the monster's skin as Julius cut a jagged line down the beast's stomach, blood spilling out all over him as he sawed away. Finally finished cutting, Julius allowed the ice to fall from his hand and looked up at Zell. "Give me a hand – it's been a while since I did anatomy on a T-Rexaur."

Jumping down off the beast, Zell and Julius slammed their arms shoulder-deep within the cavity, the seconds of breathing time Trish had left ticking away as they pushed away organs and vital components, their bodies becoming covered in sticky red dinosaur blood as they finally pulled out the stomach.

Taking hold of the muscular bag, Zell ripped it open with a massive pull – to be greeted by a soup of foul-smelling gunk, bones and unidentifiable objects spilling out of the bag as it began to empty all over the grass.

Zell rammed his hands into the mixture, fishing around for Trish – but finding nothing. Frowning in confusion, he stood slowly and looked up at Julius, who looked at him, equally dumbfounded. "I…I swear the thing ate her…"

"You sure you saw her get swallowed?"

"Don't look at me like that! I swear, I saw her body go down the things gullet!!"

Something suddenly kicked Zell in the back of the knee, causing him to fall to his knees. Falling forward with the attack, he threw his hands out and into the mush covering the grass, gripping the ground for extra purchase – before kicking out with both feet, causing the attacker to skid back. Jumping to his feet, Zell turned…

…to see an equally dirty – and very enraged – Trish advance, her hands swinging out to be blocked expertly by Zell. "How did you do that?" He muttered, half to himself as he suddenly slamming her hands away and span her around, hooking his arms around her chest and hauling her up off the ground.

"Damn you, Zell!!" Trish screamed, wriggling her legs around in order to escape his grasp. "Let me go!!"

"Not until you tell me how you got out when I had a really good view of it's mouth!"

She growled in his arms, continuing to struggle desperately – before suddenly vanishing from his arms in a puff of smoke.

Zell's arms enclosed on himself, and he stood up straight suddenly, blinking in amazement. "What the…I mean, how the…I mean…okay, what the fuck is going on here?!"

"It's my Blue that you said I had." Trish growled, her voice coming from above. Zell and Julius twisted to see Trish sitting on top of one of the palm trees. She sat with almost a serene calm – her hands were balled tightly into fists as they rested on her bare legs, but her over-all demeanour was calm as she took in a deep breath. "It's a combination of Haste and Float. I can move my body to another place instantaneously."

"Teleportation?" Julius muttered, scratching his head. "I've never heard of such a technique."

"If you can teleport, then how come you didn't use it to escape when I had you in the vault? Or any other time on the ride here?" Zell asked suspiciously.

"Believe me, if I could have, I would have." Trish muttered, standing and jumping off the tree, landing on her feet with a 'thump'. "But I need to rest in between uses. It gets too hard to do if I do it too many times in a short period of time."

Zell frowned…before nodding his head slowly, his mind full of thought. "I see. That's how you got to the roof. Killer."

Trish rolled her eyes and sighed, looking down at her body, running a finger down her chest, the goo piling up under her finger. "I suppose you'll be showing me to my room now, huh?"

Zell nodded absently, still thinking of something. "Yeah, alright…just one question. Why didn't you just leave when we got here?"

Trish shrugged absently, picking a piece of dinosaur guts off her shirt. "To tell the truth…saving the world sounds like a good change to robbing people blind."

Julius snorted with a smile. "You appealed to her good nature too, huh Zell?" He said with a small smile, before walking over and holding out his hand, still dripping with goo from the T-Rexaur guts. "Julius Garner. I'll be your hacker in this little road trip."

Trish looked down at the hand, coloured purple and not the tanned golden his skin usually had – before reaching out and accepting the hand, their palms pressing together with a small squelch. "Trisha Jones. Professional Cat Burglar. I have no idea what I'm doing here." 

She smiled up at the blond haired, bespectacled computer hacker, batting her eyelashes expertly. Julius smiled politely back down, but withdrew his hand, Trish finding she had to let go reluctantly.

Zell smiled happily, his teeth beaming out brightly from beneath the dino-goo. "Well, it's good to see that you guys will be getting along okay. I'll show you to your rooms now, huh?"

*          *            *

Zell's door slid open, and he walked into his dorm, his footsteps clumping heavily on the floor as he meandered to his bed, not bothering to turn on the lights. Pulling his black jacket off and tossing it into a corner, he span on a heel and collapsed onto the bed limply.

He landed on someone who yelped painfully.

He was on his feet instantly, dashing to the light switch, the light flashing on brightly.

Angel sat up from where she had been lying in his bed, rubbing her tummy painfully. "Watch where you're landing, Zell, you big…" She paused suddenly as she saw the state he was in, covered in quickly drying blood and dinosaur goo. "My gods!! Are you alright?"

Zell smiled. She always fell asleep waiting for him. "Yeah. I'm fine. Had a bit of a run in with a T-Rexaur that got a little too…close and personal, if you know what I mean." He remembered that he had supposed to go out with her, Squall and Rinoa to the pictures in Deling that night. What with having to show Trish around and the…messy dinosaur incident, he had forgotten all about it. "Sorry about tonight, hon, but I was really busy. I feel beat."

"You look it." Angel said with a good-natured smile, flinging the bed sheets off her body and jumping to her feet. She still wore her student clothes under the covers, Zell absently realising he had forgotten to check wether she had put her shoes in the shoe rack beside the door. He always checked to see if they were there. It was a sure-fire sign that she wasn't very far away.

She walked up to him and took him by the arm, leading him to the bathroom and sitting him down on the toilet. "Shirt off." She commanded, and he obliged her, pulling the damp article off – once red, now a reddish-brown – and handing it to her tiredly. "So what's sucked all your stamina out?" She asked, opening the dirty clothes chute and tossing the shirt down, where they would mysteriously reappear later completely clean. Nobody asked how their cloths got clean – they just took it for granted in SeeD. "Pants too."

He rolled his eyes and undid his boots, pulling them off and throwing them out the bathroom door. "I've been showing the new recruit around."

Angel smiled as he took off his pants, which he returned tiredly. "Oh? How does he seem?"

"He is a she, actually…and she's not all she's cracked up to be."

Angel cocked an eyebrow. "Really? My my, Zell Dincht, I never thought of you as a sexist!"

Zell threw the pants at her with a snort, her reflexes saving her from a messy face. "Please…she's good at acrobatics – as well as some good Blue we can _defiantly_ use – but her attitude just pisses me off sometimes! It's just so…ignorant, so inverted…it's like she thinks the whole world revolves around her, or something."

Angel shook her head with a smirk, rifling through his pockets to make sure she had everything out of them before chucking them down the chute. "Well, you've chosen her for a reason, and as long as she does her job, everything ought to be alright…" Her voice trailed off as she frowned, placing her hand in a pocket once more.

"That's the thing! She's so up herself, she hardly ever listens to me! I mean, what good will she be if she doesn't follow my orders when the going gets tough!!" He looked up at her, suddenly noticing the confused look on her face. "Baby? What's wrong?"

"Okay, lets see…" Angel muttered, pulling out the items from Zell's pockets. "Your key-card, Garden Car keys, home keys, ball of string, pocket knife, yo-yo, little wooden chocobo…Hyne, Zell, you have so much crap in your pockets…chocolate bar, pack of cards, a potion…" She frowned. "Zell, do you remember where you put your wallet?"

Zell's confused look turned to one of annoyed anger. "Trish, I'm going to wring your neck…"

He remembered when she had done when he had finished showing her around the dorm room.

_"Good night, hero."_ She had said, patting him on the butt as he walked out the door.

*          *            *

Trish smirked as she lounged on the bed in her room. Sure, it wasn't the Galbadian Hotel – but it was better then the flea infested roach hotels within the Thieves Guild. Plus, free food, free entertainment – she could watched Zell's cute buns walk around all night long – and all she needed to do was help them with this Universal Compression thingy.

She still wasn't so sure about what it was, exactly. All she knew was that Zell had a sour look on his tattooed face whenever he mentioned it. He obviously didn't want to do it.

"He has the power to not do it. So why will he?" She whispered to herself. "And why does he need people from the outside? Doesn't he have people in SeeD that's as good at the stuff me and the other guy does?"

And that was the other thing. The other guy. What was his name? Julius Gardner, or something? _He_ looked like a keeper too. Trish could do some damage between Zell and him.

Suddenly, there was a knock on her door. She rolled over to flip her legs over the edge of the bed. _He took his time. I was wondering when he would figure it out…_ she thought to herself, grabbing the wallet from the bedside table and walking over to the door.

Opening the door, she thrust the wallet out with a cute "I'm sorry." …to see Julius standing there, his blue eyes hiding behind his spectacles full of confusion as he looked down at the wallet being presented to him.

"For what?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Uh…nothing!!" Trish said, quickly pushing the wallet into her pocket.

Julius's deadpan expression was one she had seen many times before, but it was the state he was in that got Trish's attention. She had already washed off, but he wass still covered in dirt and sweat and dinosaur guts and stuff. His shirt, originally white, was now a purple-green. "Um…can I help you with anything?" she asked him, looking him up and down in disgust. _He doesn't smell all that great either…_

He nodded. "Yeah. Could I borrow your shower and some of your toiletries? It seems that the SeeDs have misplaced all of mine, and my shower doesn't work."

Trish blinked. _You'd reckon with all this technology and stuff they'd be able to fix a broken shower pretty quick.._. "Sure…come in."

He walked into the room, moving with the grace that was typical for a fighter. She looked him up and down again. Aside from the long blond hair and spectacles – which made him look pretty cute – he looked more like a surfie then a hacker, his skin tanned golden, his body as lean as prime meat. "Shower's in there." She said, pointing at the bathroom door.

"Thankyou…I'll try not to be too long." He said, giving her a small smile as he walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

"Take your time." She called. Leaning against the door with her arms crossed, she listened as the shower turned on, the sound of water crashing onto the tiles echoing within the bathroom. "Hey, can we talk?"

"…Go for it..." Was the muffled reply from within.

"Its just that…well, you don't seem like a hacker. You look more then a surfie."

A small chuckle echoed from behind the door. "…Just because I'm good at computers doesn't mean I have to have pale skin and be wand thin, does it?"

"Well, you don't seem to fit the quota. You look more like a fighter then a typer."

"…I do know some martial arts…" Was the hesitant reply.

"And it seems like these guys need fighters more then they need a hacker."

There was a paused. The crash of water killed the silence. "…Maybe they need people with many different skills…" Julius finally said.

Trish nodded, shifting her weight as she leaned against the door. "But I was thinking…they've already got people with these kinds of skills in SeeD, don't they? I mean, why would they need us? What have we got that they don't?"

In her musing, she failed to hear the shower turn off, and was surprised as Julius opened the door. She fell in slightly, and he caught her, his powerful hands grasping her shoulders and pushing her back onto balance with a gentle shove. She turned to see him holding his clothes in one hand, a towel wrapped around his waist.

His body was, to say the least, a mixture of tones muscle and scars. Long ropey ones, short stubby ones, wide ones, little rounds ones like bullet holes – she had seen these kinds of scars before.

"You were one of them, weren't you?" She asked wearily, managing to tear her eyes from his mangled body.

His spectacles were off, making his eyes look fiercer, not hindered by the thin shards of glass. They blinked down at her, the look within them unreadable – except for a hint of sadness. "That's right…I was…" He muttered, his voice low. "But not anymore."

"Hyne…you must've done something really bad for them to kick you out."

"They didn't. I left." He began to walk towards the door. "Thank you for the use of the shower. I'll return the towel tomorrow." His hand reached for the door-stub before she blocked him off, her body materialising before him in a puff of smoke. He looked down at her, not amused. "What?"

She looked up at him and batted her eyelashes, rubbing the floor with her left foot shyly as she grasped her hands behind her back. "Since…since you kinda know your way around…and I'm new here…do you reckon I could stick around you for a while? You know, just until I settle in?"

He wasn't amused, seeing straight through the facade. "Don't get any ideas. I've got a girlfriend, who I love very much."

"Where is she?"

She watched as he paused in his reply. "She's incapacitated right now…but she'll be coming back soon…I know it."

His reply confused her slightly – but she smiled slightly. _Sounds like someone was jilted. Rebound time!!_ "Oh, that's too bad…" She said in mock sadness, tracing a finger down his muscled chest.

He grabbed her hand softly yet firmly and pushed it away. "I repeat – don't get any ideas."

Trish pouted slightly, frowning up at him. "Who do you think I am? Some kind of hussy?" She poked him in the chest. "You're just a pervert!"

"You think that'll get you in my good graces?" He said with a snort, a small smile playing on his lips. "Very subtle."

Trish frowned. "Fine. You want me to come right out with it? I think you're hot, okay? Apart from the whole scar thing…some girls like that, but it think it's a bit offish to tell the truth, but I'm able to look past that, see, and I think we could make a really good couple if we just try to make it work, and you know what they say, you need friends to get places, right? What do you say?"

He looked down at her for second…before brushing her aside gently. "You talk too much."

Surprised that he could see through her so quickly, she tried another tactic. As his hand reached for the door-stub, she ran and threw her arms around his other one, clenching to it tightly. "Please stay with me! I'm scared here! It's all new and I don't know anybody!! You're girlfriend would understand, right? Pleeeease? Think of it as payback for the shower!! Come on!!"

Julius found himself rolling his eyes in annoyance. _What will it take for her to leave me alone?_ He shook his head and sighed. "Fine. I'll stay here tonight if it'll make you feel better. Just let me go get my gear from my room, okay?"

"Thank you so much!!" Trish squealed, jumping up and pecking him on the cheek, giggling as he blushed hotly. "Hurry back, okay?"

He nodded dumbly, still in slight shock from the kiss – he hadn't had any affection thrown his way in years – and turned to press the door stub. As his hand hovered over it the door slid open, and Zell, still covered in dirt and dinosaur stuff, stood in the hallway.

His look of anger suddenly turned to one of confusion. 

"Julius?!"

"Dincht?!"

"What are you doing here!?" They said in unison.

Angel poked her head around the side of the doorway. "Egads, what's been going on in here?" She asked with a giggle, before Zell shoved her head back around with a nudge of the elbow.

"Yeah, _Trish_, what has been going on here?" Zell echoed, looking at her with lasers in his eyes.

Trish walked forward, placing a hand on Julius' shoulder. "Julius said he's look after me whilst we're in Garden…if that's okay with you?"

Zell seemed to be thinking, looking from the confused and pained expression on Julius' face to the mildly triumphant one on Trish's. He finally shrugged. "Meh. As long as you two stay out of trouble, I don't give a rats ass what you do together."

"Cool!!" Trish bubbled, before giving Julius a small pat on the behind. "Go grab your stuff, okay?"

"Uh, yeah…sorry about this, ma'am…" He muttered as he stumbled past Zell, nodding politely to Angel as he tottered to his room with a bizarre look on his face.

Trish looked at Angel with a smirk. "So who's this? Contestant number three?"

Zell shook his head. "Nope. This is my girlfriend, Angel. Angel, this is Trisha Jones, the world best cat burgler."

Angel's smile seemed authentic enough. "Wow! I've never met a real cat burgler before!!" She said as she reahed her hand out.

Trish looked down at the hand before receiving it coldly. "Nice to meet you." She said, her voice laced with ice. _Shit! He never said he had a girlfriend! And she's gorgeous too!!_

Zell frowned at the cold reception, but Angel didn't seem to notice, smiling happily at the blond haired temptress. "I hope you like it here. I'm pretty sure you wont have much trouble hanging around Zell. He's a big softy when it comes down to it."

Trish raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on his lips. "Is he really?"

Zell decided that it was a good time to intervene. "Trish, you know why we're here."

The blond burglar rolled her eyes. "Fine." She muttered, handing the wallet to him. She watched as he opened it and rifled through its contents, before returning it to it's pocket with a satisfied nod. "Happy now?"

"Satisfied is more like it." Zell mumbled, before placing his arm around Angel's shoulders. "Don't stay up too late. We have a big day tomorrow. You'll be meeting your final team-mate tomorrow."

Trish smirked, crossing her arms. "Who will it be? A mime? Or maybe an elephant trainer? I reckon we'll be needing them in this three-ring circus you have going around here."

Zell's wink wiped Trish's smirk off as he smiled mysteriously. "No, not those…but she is good with magic." With that, he nodded to Trish and walked off, pulling Angel close to him as they walked away.

*          *            *

_Hey there people!! Sorry I haven't updated in AGES – my social and business life has been all hell!! (I'm a hard worker – hey, gotta get money rolling in so I can buy better Final Fantasy games, right?)_

What's that, you say? No excuses? Well, you're the ones wanting this kind of quality writing, so I'd shut up and keep reading if I was you!!

_Be expecting a lot more chapters to be following this one soon, as I've got a bit of free time now._

_ I've been working on an original Final Fantasy project with some other people too – which is why I haven't been updating so much. If you wish to check out the quality of this project, e-mail me! I'll send you a chapter regarding one of the characters – I think you'll like._

_A quick word before I go – someone has been giving me crap for having given Squall too little limelight in Tournament and Chronicles. First off, these fics are Zell based fics – you want a dose of Squall, go read a Squall fic!! And secondly, I gave you a Squall chapter in Chronicles!! What more do you want?! Chronicles is supposed to be a small story regarding one day in the life of the FF8 characters, and is a bitch to write as well!! So get off my back, okies?!_

_…But, seeing as I need to polish up on my sword-fight writing skills, expect Squall to feature in this fic a lot more then in Tournament. Okay!? Alright?! Geez, the lengths I go to for you people…_

_…but we all know I love doing it. Just remember – Zell based fic. Not Squall based fic. Please do not get confused._

_Well, Semper Fi, and remember, keep reading!!_

_Michael Kenny_


	5. Turn Your Head And Cough

Ch 5 – Turn Your Head And Cough

Julius' features were, to say the least, flushed. When Zell had asked him if he had wanted to spar in the Training Centre, he didn't expect them to be playing hide and seek.

_ - A quick dash to the left – _

Julius' hand was out in a flash, the Fire bursting out of the palm and blowing a palm tree to smithereens. _Shit! Missed…_ Dressed now in a cream shirt and a pair of dark pants and boots given to him by the SeeDs, he was beginning to remember the feel of the SeeD lifestyle. The clothing smelt the same as it always had – creamy, as if someone had literally rubbed them in soap then gave them back without washing them – and the company he was in right now couldn't be anything less of SeeD. Work hard, study hard, play hard – that was the SeeD motto, and Zell covered the aspects by a tee…well, maybe not the study bit. Not unless it involved training.

Zell had been darting in and out of the tree lines for some time now, simply dodging in and out of Julius' sight. He had told him to stay put and blast anything that stumbled along his way, as well as trying to hit Zell – if possible. _I got to give it to the kid – he's a hell of a lot better then I expected…_ The tree line around the small clearing in which Julius stood was mostly charcoal now, and the clearing itself was littered with the blackened corpses of five Grats and a very frozen T-Rexaur.

_ - Another dash to the left – _

Julius suddenly crouched, his hands spread as his hand blazed with paramagical elementals. Blue electricity licked up his tanned arms as he threw his hands out, the fingers pointed directly at the tree line from which Zell just revealed himself.

The trees burst into flame, as usual – but the ground and air crackled with energy as the Thundaga waved through them, giving everything within a ten yard radius a decent barbecue, and anything beyond that a good shock.

Zell stumbled out of the jungle, his clothes smoking, his blond hair standing on end more then usual. His coughed out a puff of smoke, before sticking a thumbs up. "Nice one, man." He spluttered, before sitting down on the floor, his breathing heavy.

Julius smirked, shifting his head to one side and hearing the 'crick' of his neck, before walking forward to join the warrior. "I was wondering when I hit you. So you do have some weaknesses."

Zell smiled goofily. "Yeah. Most of my defences are maxed out…but I'm still a little susceptible to electricity."

"I'll have to remember that."

Zell laughed out loud at that. "Good to know your opponents weaknesses, huh?"

It was Julius' time to smirk. "Something like that."

A battle cry sounded from the edge of the clearing, and Trish suddenly emerged from the brush in a tumble, coming to her feet and facing off against something within the jungle, her chest heaving as she quickly wiped sweat from her eyes. Her blond hair, tied back into a ponytail, stuck to her back, drenched in sweat.

Julius cocked a thumb at her. "I see I'm not the only one you've asked out here."

"She's got potential…but her techniques need to be fine tuned. She rushes into the fray a little too much, as has too much confidence in her strength…I'm afraid that she might get in a little too much trouble if she's too headstrong. Don't worry, I've set someone to help her."

Three grats suddenly emerged from the edge of the jungle, each one bearing down on the thief with as much speed as their little spindly legs could muster. Their originally greenish yellow bodies were peppered with fist shaped purple welts, and several of them had some of their stalks removed. Trish looked at all three quickly – before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Suddenly reappearing above one of them, she dropped down on top of it. Raising her fist high, she smashed it down, bashing it straight into the mouth of the creature and ripping out some kind of indistinguishable piece of flesh. Zell smiled happily as she tossed it away and jumped to the next Grat. "I see she's already developing attack strategies…excellent…"

Moving to the next Grat from behind, she punched it three times, the attacks smashing straight into the hide of the monster – before it turned sharply, it's tentacle-like stalks whipping out and smashing her across the face, knocking her to the ground and tumbling into a nearby tree trunk.

She shook the attack off…to see the remaining two Grats bearing down on her. She shrieked, holding her hands up – before a boot slammed into the left Grat, causing it to smash into the one beside it and hurtling the two of them into the jungle.

Angel held out a hand, helping the cat burglar up. "Wow, you're fast! But you gotta keep your head, even if you do have that fancy Blue of yours. Speed isn't always everything. How are you supposed to take out your adversary if you can't do any serious damage to the outside? Just because I told you of the Grats weak point doesn't mean you'll be able to use it against other opponents."

Trish nodded, feeling slightly cowed but looking ready to go on. After being checked by Angel, the two of them ran after the monsters, only pausing to wave at the boys before disappearing into the leafy bushes.

Zell waved back, and sighed. "Angel's great. As soon as she asatains SeeDship and gets a few missions under her belt, she'll be the first to be recommended for Instructorship."

Julius smiled, nodding his head, before looking down at his shoes, pushing his spectacles up the bridge his nose whilst picking at a piece of rubber on the soles of his SeeD-regulation boots. Zell looked at him sadly, suddenly feeling like a jerk. _I keep forgetting that his girl is a frozen piece of ice…_ "How was the sleep last night? Did Trish give you any trouble?"

Julius blinked, looking up. "She was a bit confused when I brought Veronica in…but apart from that, we didn't have any trouble." He looked over at the swag leaned against a tree and sighed heavily.

Zell frowned. Julius' words had tumbled out of his mouth, the quiet and in-control hacker suddenly looking very shy as he began to pick at the soles of his shoes again. "Anything you wanna talk about, man?"

"No thank you. I'm alright." Was the quiet reply, Julius retreating back into his shell.

Zell pressed his lips together. _Does he…like Trish? I can see what he'd like about her but…he seems so adamant about Veronica…_ He wrapped his arms around his legs and began to rock to and fro, trying not to let the thoughts of a woman frozen in a block of ice not five feet from where he was sitting allow to get to him. _I mean, I've seen freakier things, right? Whats a chick encased in Blizaga ice gonna do to me? Gimme frostbite?_

_It depends on how close you allow her to get to you, Zell._

Zell looked up to see Rinoa float down to the ground, her white wings flapping with all the grace of an angel. Her blue cardigan flowed around her, and she landed on thin air with little trouble. 

It was a bit weird, watching Rinoa move about in Sorceress form. 

One; her wings usually got in the way, and she had a tendency to drop feathers everywhere when she was troubled.

Two; her eyes changed from their familiar blue to a smoking white, causing a very weird sensation when talking to her – like her eyes were looking straight through you.

And Thirdly, when she actually did walk around, her feet didn't touch the ground. Her body floated about six centimetres off the ground. Good, if you like performing miracles.

She walked/floated towards the two fighters, a small smile on her lips. _Sorry Zell…I couldn't help overhearing your thoughts._

"Yeah, well next time keep your ears or whatever you use to yourself to read minds to yourself, okay?"

Her smile grew wider. _Okies, Zell. And who is this?_

Zell face-palmed, before standing. "Shit, sorry guys…Julius, meet Rinoa Heartilly, Garden's resident Sorceress. Rinoa, this is Julius Garner, our hacker for the mission."

Julius jumped to his feet and looked down at the angelic figure standing before him. Rinoa smiled up at him, her white eyes blazing with unfettered energy, before reaching out with a hand, her wings flapping gently behind her. _Pleased to meet you. _She pulsed, her voice neutral.

Julius blinked, before accepting the hand and shaking it firmly. "Pleased to meet you too, ma'am."

Introductions over, Rinoa turned to Zell. _So why am I here, anyways?_

Zell smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "Well…you see, I wanna ask if you could…"

"Rinoa! There you are."

The three turned to see Squall walking towards them, his gunblade strapped to his waist slapping against his leg as he walked over to them. "I thought we were going to do some training later." He said, his usually neutral voice now peppered with a hint of confusion. He looked up at Zell and Julius. "What's going on, Zell?"

Zell looked down at his shoes. He would have rather Rinoa talk it over with Squall alone then to have Zell tell him… "I'm asking Rinoa if she wants to take part in the mission."

Squall blinked – before placing an arm around Rinoa, drawing her protectively into his embrace. "No way."

Zell frowned. "But Squall…the risk of losing each other within the Archway will decrease significantly if we have her with us…not only that, but her magic will be a great help in the battles…"

"I said no."

_Squall? What's wrong?_ Rinoa asked, looking up at him.

Something was wrong with the Balamb Commander. There was _fear _in his eyes as he looked down at her. "I've been lost in the mists of time before…I cant bare to think of Rinoa being lost too."

"You'll have no choice, Leader." Someone else called.

Zell looked up to see a woman and a man enter into the clearing, the brush seeming to spit them out as they moved forward. Zell narrowed his eyes as he saw who the woman was. To say the least, he wasn't happy to be in her presence.

"Emily…" He hissed, visions of the woman who had almost killed him swimming in his view. Her sultry appearance, her usually Gothic clothing replaced with the SeeD uniform of Galbadia Garden, was all a front. Her ability to use Status Blues made her a formidable opponent – not only that, she had several mind controlling Blues too.

She moved forward slowly, looking about her with her hands in her pockets. Her eyes ran up and down Julius' body, her expression obviously showing that she enjoyed what she saw. When she spied Rinoa in Sorceress form, however, she simply snorted and moved to stand just a little off from the group.

The man was Commander Carpenter, his wavy brown hair combed neatly as usual. He was dressed in his usual tie/suit combo, making him look a lot more like a politician then the Commander-in-chief of all the Gardens. It suddenly occurred to Zell that he had never heard of how he had risen to the rank he was in right now – people had simply began to hear about a Commander-in-chief one day. He didn't even know if he was a warrior of _any _kind…

"What do you mean?" Squall asked, his voice cutting through Zell's train of thought.

"We need her, Squall." Carpenter said, moving forward. "She's one of the only people who has the power to defeat who I think will be the main enemy in all this."

"What? What 'main enemy'?" Zell asked, pushing past Julius to move in front of Carpenter, looking up at the taller man.

Carpenter cleared his throat, before reaching into his coat pocket and removing a picture. "This was found on one of the bodies of the three foreign agents who can through the Arch."

Zell received the picture, and looked down, feeling Julius, Rinoa and Squall crowd around behind him to look at it as well.

Within the picture was a grand castle of epic proportions – it made Ultimecia's fortress look like nothing more then a sandcastle. The tiers seemed to go on and on, the towers reaching up into the sky like fingers grasping for the heavens. Scores and scores of soldiers, all clad in shining metal armour, stood in what looked like the massive courtyard of the castle. They had their arms raised and their faces were screaming, as if to shout a battle cry that would make the pillars of heaven tremble.

And above them, standing on the wall just above the soldiers, sitting on a throne larger then any Zell had ever seen…

…was a woman in black, with white wings spread wide, the wing span seeming to cover the sky.

*          *            *

Zell lowered the picture, his face full of concern. "Another Sorceress…"

_What makes you think I'll be able to take her on?_ Rinoa pulsed to Carpenter.

"Well, your Sorceress powers make you basically unbeatable in this universe…plus, with the power you've shown us, the current level you are showing is nowhere near what you could achieve."

Squall stepped forward. "Well, if Rinoa is going, then I'm going too."

Everybody looked at Squall with wide eyes. Even Emily, who after her initial remark had sauntered over to a smoking tree stump and began to pick at it, looked at him as if mad. Commander Carpenter stepped forward. "Squall…the whole point of this mission is the fact that weapons that we have cannot pass through the Arch. We need people with good magical and fighting capabilities."

"I'm well trained in all forms of paramagic, sir…"

"You're not as good as Rinoa or Emily, however."

Squall blinked, looking down at the girl in his arms. She looked up at him sadly, her wings folded behind her in a timid fashion, as if showing her inwards want not to go. But… _Its for the good of the world, Squall._ Rinoa pulsed. _You understand that, don't you?_

"…I'm your knight…" Squall murmured. "Who will protect you?"

"I'll protect her, Squall." Zell said, stepping forward and placing a hand on his friends shoulder. "I'll protect her with my life. I'll protect her like she was Angel."

"You could never protect her like I could, Zell."

The flat and sharp injection of words chilled Zell to the bone, and he saw the protective glint in Squall's eyes. _It's like he's already lost faith in me…I didn't even have the chance to defend myself against the accusation! _"Squall, you heard the commander. What will you do when we get through? You'll be useless to us! I can't have dead weights in the team!!"

Squall looked down at Rinoa once more, before looking up at Zell. "I'll…I'll find a weapon once we get through. And I can hold my own against these bastards when it comes to magic…believe me…"

This was a side that nobody had ever seen in Squall before. He was literally _pleading_ to be included in the mission, for the sole purpose of looking after his Sorceress. His eyes, the dead neutrality now gone, was replaced by an imploring look, like a puppy dog in a shop window begging to be released.

"Out of the question." Carpenter said flatly. "We have to do it this way. It's the best way."

"Why sir?" Zell asked suddenly, turning to Carpenter. "Why can't we send Squall in? He could acquire a weapon, like he said, and he isn't a pushover when it comes to magic. Why are you being such a hard-ass about this?"

Carpenter's face suddenly grew grim, and he pointed a finger to all three SeeDs. "You are not here to question my judgement, Mr. Dincht, or you two either. You are here to save the world, and you'll do it by my way." He blinked suddenly, his aggravated demeanour as covered as quickly as it was shown, and he brushed back a slick of hair that had fallen from his neatly brushed do. "Now, you'll present your recruits to Galbadia Garden at fifteen hundred hours tomorrow afternoon, Mr. Dincht. Don't be late."

His ultimatum served, Carpenter turned and stalked out of the clearing, his stride a little more brisk then when he strode in. Emily quit her bored inspection of the clearing and sauntered after him, pausing before Zell to give a quick wink, before disappearing into the same clump of leaves as her boss.

Zell scuffed the dirt with a boot. "Dammit, since when did he become such an asshole?!"

Squall shook his head. "He's under a lot of pressure, Zell. I know how he feels." He looked back at Rinoa. "But I'm not letting her go without me. I'm going wether you like it or not."

Zell bit his bottom lip. _He is good at magic…and how hard will it be to find a blade in another universe? Its not as if nobody uses them anymore…_ "I don't think Commander Carpenter will approve…but I'm with you. Besides, I think I'm going to be needing another head to think this through with me anyways. Having a Sorceress thrown into the mix has completely knocked me off track – no offence, Rin."

_None taken, Zell. _Rinoa closed her eyes and allowed her wings to retract into her back, the white feathers retreating into the breadth of the span. The whole procedure took less then ten seconds, and when she opened her eyes the cheeky blue was back. She let out a small breath, before looking up at Squall. "Although it's going to be a bit weird going up against another Sorceress again. I don't wanna think about what happened last time…"

Julius, silent up to now, blinked hard as he looked at Rinoa. "Did I just see her retract her wings into her back?"

Zell nodded, his voice hinting his amusement. "Yeah...." _What, never seen a Sorceress before?_

"How did she do that?"

Zell shoved his hands in his pockets and smiled a big grin. "You'll find out sooner or later." He looked over at the couple standing before him – dark entwined with blue, Squall looking into Rinoa's eyes like there was some kind of hidden meaning for life within them. "So guys…what's the verdict?"

"He's going, Zell. It's that simple." 

Zell's smile grew bigger. "Wouldn't have figured it any other way. Well, get some rest – we're all going to need it for the examination tomorrow."

*          *            *

The Garden had been in manoeuvres within the Hasberry Plains, pitting their students against the students from the newly revived Trabia and Galbadia in war-games. It had been tough against Balamb – their Garden was the smallest of the two others, their students hardly able to withstand the sheer numbers from the other Gardens. What they had been unable to make up in numbers, however, they had made up in expertise.

Having the Sorceress Heroes as Instructors had made the Balamb students next to invincible, able to withstand almost half as much power as the other Garden students. They were stronger, faster, and more able in their abilities and weapon handling then the other Garden students.

Zell smiled as his class of students walked into the Garden, the metallic clang of the gates swinging shut behind them as they walked in through the front gates seeming to echo throughout the almost empty Garden. "Excellent work guys! You really had them on the run there!!"

A boy holding his bleeding side and grimacing looked up at Zell. "You've got to be kidding, Instructor. They wiped the floor with us."

Zell paused, turning to look at the hundred strong students who took his fighting classes. Many were wounded, some with broken bones and injuries too horrifying to explain. Others were so exhausted they had to be held up by the wounded ones to stop from collapsing.

Zell himself had sustained some injuries, his shirt ripped in several places, singed in others by magic. His lip had been split and bled freely, a clumsy mistake that had been punished harshly by the offending Instructor from Galbadia.

"Come on, guys! Why so glum? You defeated over a thousand students from two different Gardens! That's gotta be some kinda new record!!"

"They still beat us, Zell…bad."

Zell shook his head sadly. "Come on, guys! You should be happy! Do you have any idea how humiliated those guys are? We're the ones who should be celebrating, not whining on how unfair the fight was!!"

The students walked past him silently, leaving his echoing words hanging in the air like dust in the wind. He moved to the side to allow them more space and watched as the ones who didn't see the field medic move to the Infirmary, whilst the rest took a one-way trip to the Dorms for some well deserved R&R.

Zell sighed, sitting down on a bench heavily, his body making a 'thump' noise as his butt hit the hard steel. They had accomplished what no Garden had been able to accomplish since they had began to operate. In his mind, they were all as great as Squall, or Irvine, or Quistis.

"Hey Zell!" Trish called, walking from the Cafeteria with a piece of bread in her hand.

Zell leaned forward, leaning on his legs with his arms. "Hey Trish. Taking advantage of the cooks generosity, it seems?"

"Yep!" Trish agreed heartily, popping the last morsal of food into her mouth and swallowing it in one gulp. Her dress couldn't be any more different then his, her blouse clean and coloured a bright orange compared to Zell's torn and burnt SeeD battle-uniform.

She plopped down into the seat next to Zell and looked at him, studying his face. "You look like you've been busy."

Zell smiled at her, suddenly feeling tired. "I have been busy. I just led a hundred of my students into a battle against two different Gardens. We got beat – but we took down scores of them in the process. Why aren't they happy with that?"

Trish was silent for a second, watching Zell as he bowed his head, his somehow indomitable will seeming to waver. She placed a hand on his back and began to rub gently. "Maybe they don't see that second best is good enough. My teacher always told me 'second best is nothing – you either get the prize first or you get nothing.' 'Course, he died trying to pry the wedding ring off an old man's corpse whilst still in a burning house, but that's beside the point."

She realised that Zell was looking at her with a deadpan expression, and she retrieved her hand shyly. "What I'm saying is, although you're proud of them, it wont always make them feel better about the outcome. Don't worry about it. They'll get over it. They're professionals, right?"

Zell smiled. "Not really…but you are right. They're going to have to learn that defeat is a part of life…even if the odds are stacked against you."

Trish smiled at him. "There you go. 'Life is shit – get over it'."

Zell laughed at that, and stood. "I'm going to get changed, then we'll head over to Galbadia garden for our meeting. Can you find Julius for me?"

"He'll probably be in the Training Centre – he hardly ever seems to come out of there."

"He's weird like that. Go get him and meet me here in half an hour."

*          *            *

Walking into his Dorm room, Zell stepped back in surprise to see Squall sitting on his bed, waiting for him. "Whoa, Squall! Didn't expect to see you here." Zell stood in the doorway for a second, before placing a hand on his hip and smirking. "Look, do you mind? I kinda wanna get changed, and you're kinda imposing and everything…"

Squall stood, his hand on the haft of the gunblade strapped to his waist. His own clothes and face were messed up. It seems that he had just gotten back from his own battle manoeuvres too. "Zell…you're going to the Galbadian Garden now, right?" He asked, his voice monotone as usual.

"Yeah…all of us." Zell narrowed his eyes as Squall's grip on the gunblade tightened slightly, Zell's smirk fading away. "Squall…what do you want?"

"I want to come too."

Zell shrugged and smiled again. "Sure man! The more the merrier. I told you that yesterday."

Squall blinked, his stony exterior suddenly revealing the uncertainty brewing beneath. "Oh…okay…" He moved to walk out, before Zell placed a hand on his chest, stopping him.

"Squall…I can't promise anything. You know the rules. Rinoa isn't even a SeeD. And this mission has strict guidelines on which we need to follow. I'll follow you every step of the way, of course…but we have something bigger to focus on, man. Just remember that."

Squall cracked a rare smirk. "Do you think I haven't taken that into consideration?" He muttered, before Zell allowed him to brush past, walking smoothly out of the Dorm room and into the corridor beyond.

"Maybe, dude…" Zell muttered, watching Squall disappear behind a corridor, before shutting the door with a press of the door stud.

*          *            *

Galbadia Garden, as usual, was magnificent in the Galbadian air. The brilliant red of the marble walls reflected the sun perfectly off of their polished surfaces, the small clumps of greenery smattered across the garden seeming to just pull off a certain charm to cover the almost cold interior.

Zell walked forward smoothly, his tattooed face holding a smile that couldn't be copied. He loved Galbadia garden, not for the fact that they were perfectly disciplined, or that it was the quietest Garden – it was the fact that the students and SeeDs were always eager for a spar or a battle, and would drop anything to pound ten-tonnes of shit out of anybody who stood in their way. Galbadia Garden personified the meaning of 'military installation'.

The camaraderie of the Galbadian Garden was almost second to none too. Galbadia had put up a decent fight against Edea when she had taken over their Garden all those years ago…but even facing their entire faculty, she had still been too much for them. It still marvelled Zell at how Irvine had been able to defeat her with nothing but his guns…but then again, Irvine always had a perchance for luck.

Trish walked just behind Zell, her eyes wide as she looked all around. She was dressed in his battle gear – snug sneakers, a pair of black track-pants and a light green tee-shirt. Her long blond hair had been tied up into a long braid, which bounced along behind her as she looked around at everything. Everything was analysed as she took in her surroundings – places to hide, items of unique worth, the levels of the floors and areas which would be good boost points – it was a thief's wet dream, and she was basically itching to have a good, _thorough _look around.

Julius walked behind Trish, his eyes almost closed as they began to pick their ways through the corridors of the giant facility, his giant swag swung over his shoulder smoking slightly in the warm Galbadian air. The cold didn't bother him – he actually absorbed Ice elementals, so it made him feel better. He was dressed in long brown pants and a white sweat-shirt, his spectacles glinting in the corridor's lights as he pushed them back up the bridge of his nose.

He was tense – but only slightly. If the SeeDs were going to pull anything, they would have done it already, and since they hadn't tried to take Veronica off him, it would seem that they were being serious about the mission. He had no choice – Zell's offer was way too good to be passed. He needed to se this through to the end…for Veronica.

He looked down at Trish, watching her wide-eyed enjoyment as she studied the facility intently. He remembered what it had been like to be a first-year SeeD accepting a mission in Galbaida, and having to camp out in Galbadia Garden for a few days. It had been a serious change of environment – the warm climes mixed with the cold hospitality of the Galbadian students had been a little overwhelming for the young Julius – but he had grown accustomed to them eventually. He realised that Trish was looking up at him, and he gave her a small smile before diverting his concentration back onto his surroundings.

Squall and Rinoa walked at the back, Squall never more then three feet from Rinoa at one time. His sudden mood swing had surprised everybody immensely – but to him, it had been a bigger surprise. Having Rinoa around had made him come out of his shell, and the threat of her being taken away was like holding his life at knife-point – he was depended on her, he _needed _her – and he wouldn't let anybody stand in his way.

Rinoa looked at Squall with curiosity, watching as he struggled with the mixture of emotions brewing within him. Usually she would ask is to share them with the people around them – but she had the feeling that now wasn't the best time to have a 'Squall Session', as she liked to call them. She loved her knight with all her heart and soul, and would protect him with her life if necessary – but she also knew how much his job meant to the world. SeeD wasn't just a mercenary school – it was the Guardian of the world, the defender of whatever would see to harm Gaia. Having Squall struggle with these conflicts like he did when they fought Ultimecia was dangerous, for all concerned.

After walking through what had seemed like a maze of corridors and alighting a flight of steps, they finally arrived at their destination.

Squall moved forward, stepping up behind Zell. "That took a lot longer then it did when we first came here…"

Zell gulped. "I got lost, okay?! Is that alright with you, Squall?!"

Squall face-palmed and walked back to Rinoa, who was giggling alongside Trish.

Zell composed himself – _it can happen to anybody, Squall thinks he's so good, I'll show him – _and pressed the button for the elevator.

With a tinny 'ding' the elevator doors opened – revealing Emily Strange and Commander Carpenter. Carpenter checked his watch. "Right on time, Zell. Lets get this thing going then, shall we?"

*          *            *

Zell watched, amused, as the man probed his body.

All the people taking part in the mission had been taken to a level that Zell hadn't been to before in the Galbadian Garden – one big wide-open area lined with rooms, which the elevator emptied out into. The areas looked like a large waiting area – the middle of the room was lined with benches. _This must be the Infirmary, _Zell had figured. _Trust Galbadia to go over the top with medical as well._

Within the open area had been six separate SeeD doctors, who had gone to a respective person and led them to a room, quietly shutting and locking the door behind them before asking their respective patron to strip down to nothing.

Carpenter had said they were going to physically and psychologically examined, although not to any major extents. So far the little man in the white coat hadn't put anything where it wasn't supposed to go, so apart from the fact that he was standing butt-naked in the middle of a room full of medical equipment with a little man poking his ribs with a metal rod, Zell was feeling pretty jubilant about things so far.

"So, you come here often?" He joked with the little man.

The man in the white coat looked up at him with a typical Galbadian SeeD stare – as if to convey his contempt for the warrior before him. "Believe me, Mr. Dincht – I have better things to do with my time then to examine you."

"What? Have to brush up on your gynaecology, huh?"

The doctor pressed his lips together and poked Zell a little harder with the instrument, making the fighter yelp in pain. "Ow! Watch it…"

*          *            *

"Spread your arms out, please."

Trish did as the female doctor asked, holding her arms up and out. The doctor pulled out a small measuring tape and began to take her measurements, pulling the tape tight over Trish's considerable chest.

Trish waited until the doctor's ear was close to her mouth, before speaking softly. "I'm bisexual, you know." She whispered, allowing her breath to tickle the woman's ear.

The woman, not to Trish's tastes but pretty none-the-less, blushed hotly and continued with the examination without saying a word.

*          *            *

"Now Mr. Garner, if you could step on these scales."

Julius did as the man ordered him to, walking onto the scales and watching as the man recorded the weight. "Seventy-three kilograms…very good for a man of your proportions. You can step off now."

Julius stepped off, looking at the swag leaned against the wall beside the door before turning to the doctor. "Anything else, Doctor?"

The doctor gestured for Julius to follow him, and sat him down on a chair. "Now, Mr. Garner, I'm going to place this band on your head. It will measure your magical impulses, as well as your brain waves and psychological patterns."

"Wow…" Julius muttered as the doctor tightened the straps. "I never knew they had theses kind of thing in SeeD."

"We have them on loan from Esthar. Now, please clear your mind and concentrate on the picture on the screen, if you will…"

*          *            *

"I'm _so_ sorry…"

"It's ok, Miss. Heartilly."

"No, I'm _really_ sorry! It _always_ happens to me whenever instruments like that come near me!! They just seem to blow!!"

"It's _fine_, Miss. Heartilly. Nobody was hurt. We'll just assume that your magical output is…above normal. Now, please clear your mind and concentrate on the picture."

"Are you sure I need to do this naked?"

"I'm a professional, Miss Heartilly, and besides, we're both women, right? This is the way the examination is supposed to go. Now, please concentrate…"

*          *            *

"Mr. Leonheart, I'm not picking anything up."

"Maybe your machine is broken."

The doctor checked the machine again. "I'm sorry, Mr. Leonheart, but I'm still not picking up anything. Please concentrate."

"…What's this supposed to do, anyways?"

"It measures your magical input/output ratio, as well as emotional and psychological factors regarding your mental health. So far, your magic scale seems to be working – but I'm not getting anything off of you emotionally."

Squall rolled his eyes and face-palmed. _Haven't these idiots been briefed?_

"Hey, there you go…"

*          *            *

Zell walked out of the room, pulling his shirt over his head as the door slid shut behind him. Brushing his hair back, he looked up to see Carpenter walk forward. "Everything go well, Zell?" the Commander asked, smiling warmly at the world martial arts champion.

"Your little geek gave me a clean bill of health." Zell muttered irritably, his good mood gone.

"Was something the matter?"

Zell looked at him with a deadpan expression. "Lets just say it's a good thing he's a doctor – otherwise I would have wiped the floor with him. Little dork needs to develop a sense of humour, for Hyne's sake…"

Carpenter chuckled. "Well, at least you passed. You're now fully qualified to go through the Archway. If your comrades pass their physicals too, they'll be joining you shortly."

Zell breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks for allowing Squall on board, sir. It means a lot to both me and Rinoa."

"Lets just hope we don't regret it, hmmm?" Carpenter said, a mysterious look on his face…before another door opened, allowing the occupant to walk out. "Ah! Emily! How'd it go?"

Emily walked forward slowly, her face impassive. "I'm all ready, Commander."

Zell blinked – before his face crashed into a deadly frown. "Whoa – who invited her onto this picnic?"

Carpenter looked at Zell with confusion. "Her Blue's are some of the greatest in the whole of Gaia, Zell. She'll be an invaluable addition to the team."

Zell placed an arm over Carpenter's shoulder and walked the two of them away from the girl, who stood with her arms crossed, looking very peeved at Zell's reactions. Zell moved Carpenter to the other side of the room, before placing both hands on his Commander's shoulders, looked him straight in the eye, and spoke in pained tones. "Please reconsider, sir."

"Zell, she's going wether you like it or not. She has a place in this mission too."

Zell allowed his head to flop forward in defeat. "Aiyaa…" He looked up at Carpenter. "Fine. I'm allowing Squall to come, so I suppose I gotta give you this. But just remember – if she pulls any funny shit, I'm gonna beat a lot more then sense into her, got it?"

Carpenter smiled happily. "Agreed!! Well, have fun." Patting Zell on the back, he walked over to Emily, spoke for a few minutes, before getting on the elevator, disappearing from view.

Zell slammed both palms into his pockets and walked over to a bench, plonking down on the cold metal with a sullen expression on his face. It wasn't the fact that he didn't want her on the team – she _would _be a good addition if they needed to interrogate someone, which was most likely – it was the fact that she had been undercover the entire time he had been tortured during the Tournament, and hadn't released him when she had the opportunity, taking the time to try and continue his torture instead.

To say the least, he didn't like her.

He sensed her moving over to him, and felt her sit down next to him, her side brushing with his as she sat _right_ next to him. He shifted to the right a little, putting some space between them.

She sighed. "My gods, Zell, of all the people on Gaia I think you'd be the first to forgive and forget."

"It's a bit hard to forget a person who threatens to bite off my…never mind."

Emily turned to him, her pale features twisted into a frown. "I wasn't going to…bah, you're impossible!!"

They sat in silence for a few minutes, the tension growing so thick you couldn't cut it with a chainsaw. Finally, Zell rolled his eyes. "So what was the deal with Sam?"

"What do you mean?" Emily asked.

"How was he able to be up and about so soon after losing a leg?"

Emily smirked. "If you were thinking a Regen Blue, you're way off. It was all technological."

Zell shook his head. "That figures. I ran into the last of the Defectors about a month ago. Their commanding officer muttered something about Bionics…"

"Yes. Sam was fully prepare for anything…" Emily's voice trailed off into silence, and Zell looked over to her to see that she was staring at her hands.

"Were you guys…close?"

"No! He was an asshole!" Emily said, her voice tight with anger. "I'm glad you killed him."

Zell looked down at his hands too, before sighing. "I'm sorry, Emily. Even if you meant what you just said, I'm still sorry."

"Just shut up, Hunter."

*          *            *

_Interesting developments so far, peoples!!_

_Sorry I haven't been updating as much as I should – busy busy busy!!_

_This story will be kicking off in the next two chapters, as Zell and Co. will be finally going through the Arch!! What will they find on the other end? You'll just have to keep reading to find out!!_


	6. Tension On All Fronts

My god!! I'm not dead! Who woulda thunk it?? Check out the end of the chapter for a Glossary for all the asterisked words. Now, INTO IT!!

Ch 6 – Tension On All Fronts…

Zell and Emily looked up to see one of the doors open, allowing a smug looking Trish to walk out.

Walking over to Zell, she placed a hand on her hip and smirked. "If it's going to be like this the whole way, then I'm defiantly gonna like it here."

"What do you mean?"

Trish's smirk grew mysteriously. "Nothing…" looking over to Emily, her smirk turned to another smile. "Hello! I'm Trish."

"Emily Strange." Emily muttered, still in a funk from her conversation with Zell. "Nice to meet you."

Trish looked at her as if to say _what crawled up your ass and died, bitch _but didn't say anything, opting to walk over and sit next to Zell. Shifting closer, she cupped her hand over his ear. "What's her story?"

Zell sighed, before taking in a breath. "Her name's Emily Strange, sister of the man who almost assassinated President Justice early last year. We've run into each other a few times before."

Trish cocked an eyebrow, seeming to come to a conclusion. "Ah…you guys were lovers once, huh?"

Zell's impassive face turned into a frown quicker then you could say 'Haste'. "No way!" he cried, as if to spit out rotten T-Rexaur burgers

Trish watched Emily roll her eyes and sigh.

Shaking her head, Trish settled back to wait for the rest of the team. Evidently, Emily was the last addition to this freak-show – and seeing how she was using make-up, Trish was certain that 'freak-show' was the way it would be defined.

Although SeeD has somewhat of a dress code, the Disciplinary Committee barely ever holds it up. It's better for a warrior to be comfortable in whatever dress he deems fit, wether it was leather and chains or satin and lace. If it improved your fighting ability, SeeD was able to over look certain clothing boundaries…as long as it didn't stumble into the perverted.

Emily was dressed in black leather from head to toe, metal buckles at almost every hinge of her body. Her face jewellery was also in, earrings and studs seeming to line almost every aspect of her ears, nose and mouth, which was almost chalk-white through use of makeup. She was also dressed to fight, her dark gloves wrapped snugly around her hands. She looked like a pale devil, sad yet deadly at the same time.

Trish shivered. _If this is what they accept into SeeD, thank gods I didn't join when I had the chance._

Everybody looked up to see Julius emerge from his room, Veronica slung over his back as usual. He walked over to the trio sitting on the benches and placed Veronica down gently, before sitting down next to Trish.

Emily looked at the giant swag standing upright in front of her and snorted, cocking her eyebrow. "What the hell is that thing?"

Trish looked down at her shoes, remembering when she had snuck a peek when Julius had fallen asleep. "Trust me – you don't wanna know."

Julius looked at Trish. "When did you…?" He shook his head. It would have been inevitable. He frowned at Emily, forcing a smile onto his lips. "I don't think we've been introduced. You're…Emily?"

Emily looked at him, her look of amused confusion turning to simple amusement. "That's right. Ask the Hunter more about me if you want to know." She muttered, before turning away from them, shifting in her seat so she couldn't look at them anymore.

Julius looked at her back for a second, before turning to Zell, cocking his thumb at her and opening his mouth to speak. Before he could say anything, however, Zell sighed and held up his hand. "I'll tell you later, man." He muttered tiredly. "I'll tell you later."

Julius looked left and right, thoroughly confused, before shrugging and settling back into his chair, deciding to drop the subject completely. He pushed his spectacles back up onto the bride of his nose and said nothing.

Squall opened the door of his room and strolled out, shutting the door behind him succinctly. Looking over to Zell, he moved over to him, clipping his gunblade back onto his waist as he walked. "The doctor said I passed." He announced, his voice unemotional as usual, before taking a seat on one of the benches further away.

Julius snorted and shook his head, speaking to himself. "Just like the reports said. As cold as ice."

Trish frowned too. "What's his problem? Didn't he take his vitamins today or something?"

"Leave him alone, guys." Zell said with a sigh. "It's just the way he is."

"Well, I think he ought to wake up and smell the roses every now and then." Trish muttered. "Look at him! He looks like he could win a staring competition with a statue! And what's with his clothes? He looks like Goth Girl over there…"

"I said drop it, okay?" Zell growled, beginning to get agitated. "I don't give you shit for being over-talkative and dressing like a cheap harlot, do I?"

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and for a moment there was a small feeling of satisfaction that bubbled within Zell's stomach – before a sharp stinging pain associated with the sound of one-hand clapping rang throughout the room, Trish's slap slamming straight into Zell's face. Her horrified look confused Zell – she obviously couldn't take the abuse she dished out. "Bastard!" She spat, before getting up and sitting next to Julius, plopping down beside him and crossing her arms, a sulking look on her face.

Julius looked at her – before turning to Zell, placing a hand next to his mouth to shield his words from a fuming Trish. "Looks like somebody needs to apologise, dude." He muttered, the humour evident in his voice.

Zell was feeling slightly sheepish about his words – but he needed to stick up for Squall. "I'll apologise to her after she apologises about what she said about Squall."

"Then you'll never get an apology, Hunter." Emily muttered, her words like stinging daggers in Zell's ears. "Women never do wrong – men must always apologise. It's the way the world works."

"Now how the hell does that work?!" Zell bellowed, before Rinoa slamming the door behind her interrupted him.

Everybody watched as she made a beeline towards Squall, sitting down next to him. She was obviously upset, and Zell forgot his anger to listen in to the conversation. Even in the dead silence, Zell had to fight to hear. Squall had picked the furthest bench away from the group. "…I broke the…obviously upset…lying bitch…" Rinoa was muttering to Squall, who was taking it all in like he had heard it all before.

"…Patience…didn't know…power too much…"

His coolly delivered and carefully chosen words seemed to calm her down somewhat, and she snuggled up to him carefully, relaxing in his arms as he hugged her comfortingly.

Emily shook her head at the display, before leaning forward, looking over at Zell. "What now, fearless leader?"

Zell sighed. This whole leader thing looked like a piece of cake when Squall was doing it – but Zell was beginning to see why Squall was always in a grumpy mood. "I suppose we ought to go see the Commander now. I'm pretty sure he'll want to brief us."

Julius stood up immediately. "Lets do it." He murmured, picking up Veronica and slinging her over his shoulder before moving to the elevator. Everybody else took heed, Squall and Rinoa next to climb aboard, before Trish stalked in, evidently still pissed off at the tattooed fist-fighter.

Zell was about to join them before he felt a hand on his shoulder holding him back. "Remove it before I take it off at the wrist." He growled.

Emily took her hand off him and walked around him so that she could look him in the eye. Her expression was serious, the playful aggression that usually filled her eyes now replaced with a lost look. "You seriously think we'll be able to pull this off?" 

Zell fought through the frustration and shrugged with a smile, covering his surprise at the uncharacteristic question. "Sure, why not?"

She narrowed her eyes, as if to say _don't play games with me_, but she turned and walked into the elevator without another word.

Zell blinked for a second – _what the hell was all that about? – _before shrugging and walking into the elevator, pressing the up button and allowing the doors to close, their ride beginning.

*          *            *

"Report, doctor."

"Sir, they have all finished their tests and are now making their way to your office now, sir."

_"Good. Have the results been confirmed yet?"_

"Almost, sir. Obviously it's been a few years since she's had to use Time Compression power, but she seems more then capable."

"Excellent. Keep me posted on her statistics, and the other's as well."

"Of course, sir."

*          *            *

Zell opened the door for the waiting room and gestured for everybody to go in. "You guys wait here. I'll go find the Commander and tell him we're ready to go see him."

"I'll go with you." Squall muttered, disengaging himself from Rinoa and walking over out of the room.

Zell paused for a second, before shrugging. "Fine by me."

*          *            *

They had been walking for a few minutes before Squall sighed. "You're lost again, aren't you?"

"Love the people, not the place, Squall." Zell muttered, nodding to another person who waved at him. "You know I have as many fans here as I do at Balamb?"

"Watch yourself, you're beginning to sound like Irvine." Squall chided…before the rare humour dissipated to his usual monotone. "Besides, this serves my purposes too."

Zell stopped, turning to face his old friend. "What do you mean by that, buddy?"

Squall looked at Zell with a look in his eyes. Zell couldn't decipher it – something crossed between confusion and humour. "Zell – do you really think we'll be able to pull off something as big as this?"

"What? You think I can't do it?" Zell muttered defensively, crossing his arms. "I did pretty well with Sam and Deling…"

"It's not that. I have complete confidence of your fighting skills…" Squall said, shaking his head. "It's just that…Time Compression was hard on all of us. But something like Universal Compression? Come on…there are too many unanswered questions that have to be asked."

"It's just like when we had to go through the Time Compression, Squall. Hell, Laguna set all that up, and you know how well his plans usually work out!"

"It's just that…are you sure we can take three complete strangers through the Arch?"

Zell did a double take in surprise. "You're worried about Julius, Trish and Emily?"

"Contrary to popular belief, Zell, I do care about my comrades. You've obviously hand picked them as the best of what they do…but they haven't been properly trained yet. We need to give them a few weeks of training…maybe put them through a Time Compression simulator…something like that."

Zell shook his head. "Squall…this isn't like you. You know perfectly well that I chose them because of that! These people are the most likely to succeed, not only because they are the best, but also because they have shown to withstand certain…pressures…within their lives."

"…You mean the Desert Of Time?"

Squall's monotone voice spat the words out as if they tasted bitter. It had been his doubts of the return that had spun him into the Netherworld of Time, his mind replaying all the shocking events that had lead up to Ultimecia's defeat – Rinoa's death, her possession by Ultimecia, the numerous deaths of his comrades – they had all been played over in his mind, the side-effects of the GF usage warping them into what they hadn't been, until finally he couldn't take it, couldn't take the pain of watching all the people he had grown fond of being changed into hideous masses – and had forcibly pulled himself into a void.

Into which he had become as he had always been before – alone. Alone in his own world, with nothing of his own. Broken and bleeding, he had began to walk, each step like a nail hammering home on the lid of his coffin – the slow realisation that nobody would or could come for him, that ultimately he was on his own – no Selphie, no Irvine, no Quistis, no Zell – no Rinoa.

It had only been Rinoa's stubborn refusal to give up on him that had allowed her to check the vacuum of Timelessness, to find what had once been a great fountain of paramagical energy reduced to nothingness from fatigue, wounds and the self-contemplation of his own life. And it had been that way that she had descended on him, her wings out and open like an angels, to whisk him away, back to the field of flowers in which they had promised to return to, if they were ever separate.

Zell knew about it all.

It had taken Rinoa a full week to find him.

"Nothing like that is going to happen, man. I'm not sure about Emily, cause I don't know her that well, and Julius might go over the edge if he ever loses Veronica – but I do know that Trish, myself, Rinoa and you will be able to withstand something like that happening again. We've got the experience, and I think Trish has a bit too much willpower for something like Universal Compression to worry her. You have my word on it."

Squall nodded slowly…before waving the conversation off. "Whatever. Lets find the Commander and get this over with."

Zell nodded with a smile, allowing Squall to take the lead.

As they began to pick their way through the maze of corridors that Zell had managed to get them lost in, Zell couldn't help but smile at the way Squall was acting. _Thinking of everybody else but himself…typical Squall behaviour. Trust him to worry about people he doesn't even know._

A dark voice crept into the edge pf his mind, toying with him. _He certainly worries about Rinoa though, doesn't he?_

Zell's face twisted into a grimace. Diablo always had a way to stick the knife in. _He's got good reason, Diablo. He's her Knight. He's basically sworn to protect her!_

_Oh, of course._

Zell paused. _…That was rather easy. I would have thought that you would have goaded me some more._

No, boy. I think I will let you think about it some more. About how vehenomously he would protect her. About how he would do nothing to keep her from harms way. About how he would most likely abandon his friends in order to carry his mission to protect and serve.

Zell shook his head. _You think too much. Squall would never abandon his friends._

Oh? So that's why he allowed you to be captured by Sam and Irvine? Why he asked you to risk life and limb for his pathetic father?

Just shut up, Diablo. You're beginning to annoy me.

The request shut the demon up, but his work had been done. The Gravity God had planted the seed of doubt in Zell's mind, and he looked at the silent gunblade expert in a new light. _Would you…?_

"It's here." Squall muttered, finally coming to an elevator with the Galbadian seal embossed on it, pulling Zell from his musing. 

The martial artist heaved a breath, before walking forward, pressing the button. The door opened without hesitation, as if it had been waiting for them, and Zell shot a glance at Squall, winking at his friend with a smile. "Lets get this over with!"

*          *            *

Trish was still in a shitty mood at Zell, and was doing everything in her power to convey this to the others. "God, I can't stand him! How he thinks he's all high and mighty?! I bet I could make him bow and scrape, just like all the other men I had bow and scrape before me! I tell you, he wouldn't be so good if he were taken down a peg or two! He should feel a bit of shame – that'll put him in his place!"

Rinoa sat in one of the comfy chairs in the waiting room, watching Trish stalk back and forth with mild amusement. "You shouldn't say that about Zell. He's really a nice guy."

"Bah! What would you know?! You've got Mr. Silence as your boyfriend! That must be a real hoot! A rock as a partner!"

"What did you say about Squall?!"

Emily sat back, watching as the two woman shot glances at each other, the paramagical energy within the room beginning to rise as looks the woman shot smashed into each other. She found it highly amusing, and didn't even try to hide her smile as the scene unfolded before her. "I'm really loving this! I hope one of them kills the other one!"

Julius pointed a finger at Emily, deciding it was high time to diffuse the situation. "You, be quiet. And ladies, please, sit down!!"

Julius hadn't even known how he had gotten into this predicament. He had thought it would have been a simple mission – as simple as going through Universal Compression could get. From what he had read from the quick glance he had gotten from the file when the SeeDs had busted down his door, all they needed to do was find someone in the other universe and assassinate her. Simple, right?

What he hadn't figured on was having to baby-sit three beautiful women as the only other male presence in the room decided to make themselves scarce.

In the four years since the Trabia incident, Julius had shied away from female contact. His love for Veronica was too powerful, he kept saying to himself. But in actuality, he feared falling for another woman. He kept himself celibate for her, and made himself stay away from woman, secretly ashamed when he thought impure thoughts of other.

Right now, the voluptuositys he had before him was all but breaking his will.

To his left, her hands balled into fists at her side and trembling with anger, was Trish, the golden-haired thief even more stunning clean then when they had met before. He had been amazed that she had wanted to sleep beside him – him, a man who carried his dead girlfriend around in a massive block of ice!! Her hair bounced naturally as she stabbed a finger at Rinoa, the perfectly manicured nail not needing polish to look beautiful as another verbal insult erupted from her full red lips. Her blue eyes blazed erratically, and he thought he would disappear within them…

…Before he looked into Rinoa's. Her flawless good looks had taken his breath away the moment he had first saw her, her cute smile on her face as she floated down to earth, her white wings gracefully flapping to lower her decent. She had looked like an angel, her perfect features seeming to be enhanced by her smoking white eyes. He had felt a bit of static spark from her as his meaty paw engulfed her petite hand, feeling her magical energy flow as he pumped her hand up and down. Amazingly, her beauty seemed to upgrade to an even larger level when she was in human form, her deep brown eyes sparking with uninhibited humour and glee as she bubbled her way towards you. It amazed him why she continued to stay with Squall – he must have a profound affect on her for her to love him so much.

Which brings him to Emily, the pale Goth laughing quietly as Trish and Rinoa had their stand-off, holding her sides as she sat in her chair to Julius' right. Her purple lips was turned into a small smile, lighting up her otherwise dreary-looking face. Julius could tell there was some kind of woman hidden beneath all the jewellery and makeup – he saw it when she looked at him with those deep, cold blue eyes. Her beauty was a hidden one – a masked one. She acted tough, and covered it up with the marks and the make-up – but it was all a call for help, and Julius couldn't help but realise that.

He shook his head suddenly, forcing the ideas away angrily. _Bastard! _He thought to himself. _What about Veronica?! What would she think if she knew what you were thinking?_

He stood to his full height, looking down at the two woman, who looked like they were about to get it on – Rinoa had two hands with fire burning within them, and Trish looked about to tele-frag* the Sorceress – and stood in-between them. "Ladies, _please_!!" He cried, holding his arms out. "Lets just wait for Zell and Squall!!

Rinoa looked like she was able to spit blood, but Trish calmed down. "You're right, Julius. We'll wait for the Misogynist* and Silent-Man." With that she plopped down in her chair, crossing her arms and replacing the rage on her face with a sulking look.

Rinoa looked like she was about to retort – but gave up, the fire in her hands puffing out in short bursts of smoke, sitting down in a chair across the room and crossing her arm.

Emily sighed unhappily. "Damn, I was sure I'd get to see some fur flying today…" Suddenly her mouth stopped working, and she glared at Rinoa who had her finger pointing out from under her elbow, the Silence working just as well as if she had slapped her across the cheek with it. The fury within Emily's eyes was indescribable – but she simply crossed her eyes and fumed, unable to say anything.

Julius sighed happily and sat down next to Veronica, patting the swag with his hand. _Well, I think I did that right, right hon?_

*          *            *

"And that's the deal, gentlemen. You go through, assassinate this Sorceress, and get back home. Simple."

Zell snorted. "Sure. Simple. As simple as a bullet to the brain, sir."

Squall decided not to say anything, deciding to delve into the file he was handed when he entered the room.

They sat across Commander Carpenter's desk, battle plans and field reports lying strewn all over the place. Commander Carpenter was, obviously, not a very organised person.

The quality of the reports, however, was outstanding. Full field statistics on the three 'foreign elements' who had come out of the Arch, as well as a full breakdown of their armour and weaponry. A full description of the world beyond the Arch – what the SeeDs saw of it, before they were taken out – and tapes of the whole expedition from the hesitant start to the gruesome finish.

Squall looked up at Carpenter. "Sir, where are the bodies of the men who came through? According to your reports you took them away for tests. That would have been a good three days ago."

"Yes, good question Commander Squall. As the report tells you, we've taken their bodies to our best research facility and performed autopsies, as well as taking very careful care of their clothing and armour. Their clothing was much like our own casual clothing – the armour must be worn over them, evidently, like a uniform. Almost none of them had any personal effects – save for the man who had the picture of the army in his pocket."

"What about the armour? You've called it…Orihalcon?"

"Omihalcon*. It's designed to perfectly wrap around the wearer, almost like a second skin. We don't even know how it works – it seems to have a life of it's own, adjusting to any person's size and shape. We figured it to be some kind of magical item – but when we tested it for paramagical elements…there were none."

Zell and Squall sat up in their seats, their eyes wide. "None at all?! That's crazy!!" Zell exclaimed.

Any and all things within the world had paramagical energies coursing within them, even rocks and metals. It is their paramagical energies that allow for draw points and magic's to be used – the magical properties have to come from somewhere!

But in all their years of training, Zell and Squall had never heard of an item that had _no_ magical energies flowing within them, especially not an item that could do what the reports said it could!

"Would this explain how the men were able to make it through the Arch without losing their weaponry?" Squall asked after getting over his initial shock.

Carpenter nodded "Yes, it would seem so. Their weapons were made of the same material too."

"Where are these suits of armour?" 

"They've been analysed in the R&D* projects development department within Trabia, the only Garden nearest to the Arch. Their people have made some impressive discoveries…"

"Like what?" Zell asked, shifting closer. _I thought I'd fall asleep, but this is getting quite interesting!_

"Well, the helmets that the men were using seemed to house the energy sources. Within the helmets were HUD* sources built into the visors which showed their opponents magical and physical properties."

"It could tell how strong their opponents were?" Zell asked, his voice incredulous.

"Yes. That's why we had such a hard time taking them down. The armour also has the ability to change it's surface, from reflective to an almost impenetrable surface, making the armour as hard if not harder then Adamantine."

Zell sat back in his chair, his mouth wide open.

"Not only that, but Orihalcom also has the ability to heal. Emily managed to break the arm of one of the assailants – but the armour allowed his arm to move, the metal forming around his arm and working much like a bone."

"How many are left?" Squall asked.

Carpenter leaned back in his chair. "Three of my best Forbidden SeeDs managed to bring one of them to his knees with three consecutive Flares, and Emily had to obliterate one with an Ulitma – the last was taken down by one of my snipers. Got a shot in when a SeeD with a Sai managed to take off his helmet. So what we got are two complete sets, as well as a double-headed axe, a _big_ sword, and dual Katanas."

Zell and Squall looked at one another, and in a rare moment of unity between them leaned forward a little. "We'd like to see this armour…" Squall began.

"…as soon as possible." Zell finished.

Carpenter smiled. "I thought you'd asked for that. Trust me when I say, you'll do more then look at it."

*          *            *

Squall and Zell walked into the waiting room, looking at the scene before them and frowning.

Trish stood in the corner of the room next to the wall, her fist raised in what looked like the launching of a punch. Emily sat in her seat, her arms crossed, the evident paramagical signals coming from her signifying a Silence. Julius stood immediately, walking over to the two men and grabbing Squall by the shoulders. "Oh thank Hyne you're here! You gotta do something about her!"

Rinoa sat/floated in her chair, her wings folded behind her, her eyes blazing a bright smoking white as she continued to pout like she had done for the last half an hour.

"I tried to break them up, but they're both so stubborn!" He said, watching as Squall pushed past him and walked over to the sullen Rinoa. He crouched next to her and placed a hand on hers, which she squeezed.

"Did you Stop Trish, Rin?" He asked, his voice much like the one of a disappointed father.

_…Yes…_ she replied irritably.

"Are you going to turn her back soon?"

_She started it Squall! I swear she did!_

"Are you?" Zell asked, walking forward with his arms crossed.

Rinoa looked down at Squall, who stood and moved next to Zell, the two of them looking down at her. She sighed sullenly, before lifting her left hand and clicking her fingers.

_Smack! _"Ow, my fucking hand!!"

_You're all mean._ Rinoa pulsed in a spoiled tone as she stood/floated, pointing a finger to Emily as well.

Emily looked up at her with murder in her eyes, moving for the door immediately. "Do that again, Sorceress – and you're dead." She spat, before stalking out.

Julius seemed evidently relieved, letting out a long breath as if the pressure from within the room had suddenly been released – before watching as Trish, cradling her hand, sidled up to him – and threw herself into his embrace. "I hurt my haaaaaand!" she squealed, bawling into his chest as he looked down at her in shocking confusion.

"What's that got to do with me?!" He cried as she cried into his shirt. He looked up as Zell made his exit, Squall and Rinoa following close behind. "Hey, what am I supposed to do with her?!"

Zell stuck his head back around the corner. "Cast a Cure, kiss it better and get a wriggle on! We'll meet you at the front entrance in a few minutes." He winked at eh blond hacker before departing.

"This is why I don't mix with girls…" Julius muttered to himself, taking the injured hand and casting Cure, the green glow of the magic bathing her hand as it was emitting from his palm. "…They're trouble."

Trish evidently didn't hear him as she looked down with wonder at her hand, which was miraculously healed, the bloody scratches on her split knuckles now gone. She looked up at him, covering her disappointment of having no excuse to be close to him with a look of wonder. "How'd you do that?"

"It's just a Cure magic. You've never seen magic before?"

"Of course I have you big dope!" She said with a smile. "Thank you!"

Before he could stop her she jumped up, standing on the tips of her toes to plant a big kiss right on his mouth, her lips pressing against his as she grabbed his shirt to pull him down…

He placed a hand on her chest and shoved her away. "Stop that!!" he found himself crying.

"I…I'm only saying thanks. You don't have to look so hurt."

"Well don't, alright! I have a girlfriend which I love very much, and I don't think she'd like it if you did that!"

"What's she gonna care?! She's just a big lump of ice, you big dick!!"

The words were out of Trish's mouth before she could stop them, and immediately she placed a hand on her mouth. "Oh my gods…I'm so sorry…" she whispered. Sure, fooling with him was on the agenda – but he obviously held onto the woman very hard. She moved forward with her hand out to consol him – only to have him to bat it away, his face as stoic as…as the other guy, Squall.

"Don't be." He growled, moving over and placing a hand on the big swag…before lifting it up and onto his shoulder, turning his head slightly to acknowledge Trish's presence. "Come on. They'll be waiting for us."

She paused slightly…before following him.

*          *            *

_Well, I'm back!! Hope I haven't been keeping you waiting for toio long!!_

_I tell you, being out of the game has really thrown me off course! But I'm beginning to get my groove back, so not to worry – I'll be updating ASAP!!_

_A bit of a glossary – _

_HUD – Heads Up Display. Being a bit of a DBZ fan, I figured the Universals ought to have some kid of Scouter device – it's just cool._ _Tele-Frag – anybody who has played Quake has had this doen to them at least once. It's when the teleporter reassumes his/her position in an organic substance. Reality cannot support two organic substances at the same time, so the teleportee survives. Suffice to say, the organic substance doesn't._ _Misogynist – my ex-girlfriend calls me this a lot. It's when a male puts down a female by saying degrading things about females in general – 'god, you're such a woman!', and so forth._ _R&D – Research and Development. Lots of my older readers would know what this means, but most of the younger ones wouldn't. It's a place where a certain item is researched before being developed to become better._ _Orihalcom – my quick tip-of-the-hat to an Anime movie called Spriggan. The main character of that movie also wears Orihalcom – but it doesn't have the same properties it does in the FF8 world that it does in Spriggan. Check out Spriggan – kick ass movie!!_


	7. Gear Up And Move Out, SeeD!

Ch 7 – Gear Up And Move Out, SeeD!!

Zell looked at the three girls as they trudged before him, their silence amazing him. Whilst he didn't expect Emily to have much to say to anybody in particular, Rinoa and Trish had spoken a little when they had walked from Balamb Garden to Galbadia Garden. Now an eerie silence was cast over the group, Julius also not saying anything as he stomped his way through the soft grass next to Squall, their faces almost identical in their unemotional content.

_Sheesh…what the hell's happened?_ Zell thought to himself, looking as Rinoa flapped her wings slightly, the sign one of impatience and annoyance. _Everybody was getting along so well…maybe I ought to say something…_

Zell cleared his throat. "Hey guys…since we have to be at Trabia by tomorrow, that gives us all night to play with. Why don't we get together and have a bit of a group dinner…you know, let everybody get to know one…another…"

His voice trailed off as Emily snorted and picked up her pace, moving away from the group. Trish shot him a glare filled with venom before shoving her hands in her pockets once more, and Rinoa simply ruffled her feathers again. Julius didn't say anything, his sight clamped firmly on the ground before him, his already white-knuckled grip on Veronica's swag tightening even more.

Zell knew Squall wouldn't say anything. He was very set in his ways.

Sighing and shrugging, Zell shoved his hands into his pockets too, the mission files bundled under his arm being squeezed a little more as he decided to keep his mouth shut.

*          *            *

When they finally got to Balamb's front gates, Zell scooted forward, stopping everybody from going in. He held up his hands, gesturing for everybody to stop. "Hey, guys, I know this is gonna be a tough mission, and I'm not as dense as I can sometimes look like. If we're going to come out of this alive, we're going to have to work as a team."

Everybody looked at the ground, grumbled a response.

Zell looked from one person to the other, before shaking his head and sighing again. "Well, you can't say I tried. Just read these mission reports, and get some sleep. We're moving out as soon as we get to Trabia." He allowed each of them through, handing a folder to each of them as they passed through the gates, stopping Julius and Trish as they came to walk through. "I need to talk to you two." He muttered, beckoning them to follow him back out into the plains surrounding them.

Trish and Julius glanced at each other, before walking after him.

Zell had walked out a little before twisting to look at them. He gestured for them to sit, and they did, Trish plopping onto the ground unceremoniously, Julius carefully setting Veronica down before settling to the ground in his usual _lotus _position.

Zell sat down too, crossing his legs and allowing his hands to brush through the soft green grass. "You guys are something special." He said, trying to figure out the right words. "We usually don't allow outsiders this far into SeeD workings, even ex-SeeDs, Jules. You guys were chosen by me because you're the best of the best, and I wont settle for anything less."

He sighed again, before gesturing to the folders they held in their hands. "In those folders you'll be receiving SeeD credentials. It'll include a SeeD ID, SeeD passes, and all the other SeeD crap. In effect, from this moment on, you guys are officially SeeDs."

Trish looked down at the folder in surprise, before opening it, pulling it the tiny plastic baggy containing her photo ID and SeeD diploma. "Wow. 'Trisha Jones, Class A SeeD. Major: Blue Magic. Minor: Duel'."

Julius looked at Zell, his eyes narrowed with anger. "Zell…you didn't say I'd be joining again."

Zell shook his head. "It's only temporary, man. After this mission is over, the identification papers will become null and void. We're not interesting in keeping you guys...no offence."

Julius still looked at the folder in his hands as if it would open up and swallow him whole…but nodded slowly.

"And another thing," Zell continued, "Is that when we go through this, we're going to have to stick together. No lone wolf crap here – we're a team, okay? Everybody is looking out for each other. I'm not going to have it any other way. Anybody who gets any ideas will be stranded, got it?" Trish and Julius nodded, and Zell sat back, his words seeming to be tumbling out of his mouth like feathers in the wind. "I don't know what went on when Squall and I was gone, and I don't wanna know. All I want to do is get this done and get back home, okies?"

"Right." Trish agreed with a nod.

"I understand." Julius muttered.

"Good." Zell said with a nod, springing to his feet. "Well then, I'll see you guys tomorrow." With that, he stood and walked back to Balamb, his hands in his pockets.

*          *            *

Trish watched Zell walk away, before turning back to hug her legs to her body, her knees touching her chin. Her mind had been sent into a spin by the harshness of Zell's words, her mind replaying the stern look in his eyes as he looked from her to Julius. _What the hell was all that about? It's like he doesn't trust us already…_She thought, before sensing Julius shifting to his feet, grabbing the big ice block that was his girlfriend and swinging her over to his shoulder once more. She glanced at him, not wanting to look at hi for too long in far that their eyes might lock, and felt depression creep into her mind. _I'm sorry, Julius. I know I go too far sometimes…you're a nice guy, and I know that I'd never do anything to hurt you…_

He spoke for the first time in the half hour it had taken for them to walk back to Balamb, his voice as cold as it had been when he had batted her hand away. "I'm going to move my stuff out of your room into mine. They must've fixed my stuff by now."

"…Uh-huh…" Trish mumbled, brushing a lock of golden hair from her face.

"I won't be take very long to get my things. We'll meet back up tomorrow, in the Library. That's what the file asked us to do."

"…Okay…"

"…Trish."

She looked up at him, her face burning red as the tears began to form, ashamed at her emotional condition.

He looked down at her with the giant swag crossing his broad shoulders, his own wavy blond ponytail flipping in the breeze as his crystal-blue eyes peered down at her through his spectacles…before he pushed them up the bridge of his nose, the reflection of the setting sun covering the look in his eyes. "Zell does trust us. He meant every single word he said. And there's nothing he wouldn't do to protect us."

"What…what about the thing he said about…about abandoning us if we don't do our job…?"

Julius' chin jutted forward in mild thoughtfulness, and he looked away, his eyes still covered by the reflection of the setting sun. "He's bluffing. The SeeDs may be a band of assassins and money-grubbing mercs – but they don't leave their own behind."

She hugged her knees a little tighter, her bottom lip trembling. "How can you be so sure? Isn't that what happened to your girlfriend?" Once again, her mouth sped faster then her mind, and she mentally kicked herself for saying it…

…Before she felt his hand on her shoulder. "Zell is different. He's got a kind soul."

She looked up at him then, seeing the easy smile that had seemed to have been lost, looking into the big blue eyes that made her feel slightly weak at the knees. "Now, come on. It's beginning to get dark." He said, his voice warm and inviting, much like a father's or an older brothers.

She nodded with determination, springing to her feet and wiping her eyes dry, feeling her sadness melt away. "Okay."

*          *            *

Julius looked down at her from time to time as they walked to the Dorms, watching as she regained the spring in her step, watching as she began to wave to complete strangers. _Amazing at how fast she can recover…will you be like that, Veronica? Will time have stood still for you, or will you have been living in this icy prison, fully aware?_

He shook his head sadly. _No. Of course not. You're still dead. And I still don't know wether or not I'll be able to revive you…I'm so close. I'm so close I can taste it, I can feel it on the tips of my fingers, and they're brushing against the solution, hon…I'm so close, and I'm afraid of losing it…losing it when I've come this far…_

He blinked, looking down at Trish. "Sorry, what?"

"I asked if you really need to go back to your own room. Hyne, were you talking to the fairies or something?" 

He smiled softly, looking down at his boots. "No…just myself…"

They stood in the hallway for a second, the silence tangible…before she shrugged at him. "So? Are you sure?"

Julius sighed. "Look, Trish, you're a really nice girl and all, but I'm on…a personal quest, if you will. And if I let anything distract me…then…" He was fumbling with the ball, loosing his way. He didn't know what he was saying.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"What will you do? If you succeed, that is?"

Julius blinked at the forwardness of the question. And to tell the truth, he had never thought of that before. He had only blindly pushed forward, trying as hard as he could to bring her back, by any means necessary. He had never thought of what would happen _after._ "If I do revive her…I honestly don't know what I'd do."

Trish looked up at him, a sad look creeping into her face…before she turned to unlock the door, the look disappearing to fast for him to say anything.

Walking in a flicking on the lights, Trish stopped suddenly, Julius ramming into her back. "What? What's wrong…" He asked as he heard her horrified cry, looking up…

…to see the room in shambles.

*          *            *

Zell stood in what looked like a war zone. And he hadn't even been training in his room that day.

All the pictures and hangings on the wall were torn down, his drawers containing clothes ripped out of their slides and emptied. His bed had been slashed and the stuffing pulled out, his pillows also ripped wide open. Moving to his bathroom, he also saw that the bathroom cabinet had been ripped off the wall, exposing the pipes that ran behind it. Nearly every conceivable hiding place that Zell could have used to hide anything had been ransacked – and then the ransacker had did a once-over on the entire room, just to make sure.

He sighed, scratching the back of his neck. _Well, I wonder what the hell this means?_ His room was usually a mess – but unless he had gone out with a drink the night before with Irvine, he was pretty sure the room was relatively clean when he had gone out for manoeuvres today.

The door chimed behind him, and he palmed it open – to reveal a very shocked looking Trish and Julius. "Zell! Somebody's gone through our rooms…what the hell?" Trish gasped, walking into Zell's room and surveying all the damage. "You too!?"

Zell shrugged. "I don't get it either."

Julius looked around the room, casting a professional eye on the carnage. "This was very methodical. The person was really looking for something. You're room has had a lot more damage done to it then ours."

Zell nodded, agreeing. "Yeah. Me' thinks something 'aint right in Balamb Garden…"

Squall suddenly poked his head around the corner of the open door. "You too, huh?"

Zell turned, nodding. "Yep. Where's Rinoa?"

"Flying around outside, killing monsters. She was so angry…" He shook his head, before walking in, looking around the room. "We have to tell Headmaster Cid about this, then go to the Security Department to gather the camera and door lock records."

Zell smiled and shook his head. Way ahead of him, as usual. "You're on the ball, Squall. Trish, Jules – go to the Cafeteria and wait there for us to come back. Lets go see Seifer now, Squall. We'll talk to Cid after we've checked the records."

*          *            *

The elevator opened to allow Zell and Squall out – into complete anarchy.

Seifer stood in the middle of the security compound, the banks of computers and rows of desks surrounding him in flames, the blond haired gunblader screaming orders to Security personnel. "You! Get somebody with Water experience down here! You three, start saving as much data as possible! Raijin, you bastard, get off your lazy ass and get these burn victims up to the Infirmary! Now, dammit, now!!"

A small explosion rocked the foundries of the room, and everybody checked themselves as they regained balance – before Seifer began to scream orders once more. "Taka, find out what the fuck that was and list it with the rest of the shit that's blown up! And find out why the fuck our Fire Hazard system hasn't kicked in yet! Fujin, I want these people out of here as soon as possible, they're not doing shit! You, you and you – panic. The rest of you, follow me!"

With that Seifer dove into the flames, his gunblade out and slashing the flaming parts of computers and desks up into the air – his little posse of SeeDs blasting the parts out of the air with Water or Blizzard magic's.

Zell and Squall dove into the fray a well, Zell taking the initiative to douse a large part of the room with a Water spell whilst Squall made his way to Seifer. "What's happened here?!" He bellowed over the roar of the fire.

Seifer turned his head to look at Squall, the look on his face one signifying that this was the last person he wanted to see. "Everything was going fine until we took off, Commander! Then all of a sudden shit just started blowing up!"

Squall's face was still one of no emotion, the words spilling out of his mouth completely professional, the usual tension between the two gunbladers lost to the flames. "I want a full damage assessment by the end of the night, understood Mr. Amalsy?!"

"Understood, Commander!"

His order given and with Seifer seeming to be taking control of the situation, Squall turned to Zell, who was dusting his hands after quenching about a third of the fire's progression with Water attacks. "Come on, we need to see Cid now."

*          *            *

"Xu – is Cid in?"

"Yes Squall – what was that explosion?"

"The Security Department has been sabotaged. Make sure nobody else goes into the Training Centre – we'll need the Infirmary open for burn victims."

"The Infirmary is full from the war games today Squall! Completely full!"

Zell scuffed the ground with his sneaker. "Shit!"

Squall looked at the ground…before looking up. "Then get every available White Magic student and SeeD into the Infirmary pronto. And page Rinoa! We'll need her for this!"

"Yes Sir!!" Xu shouted, saluting and dashing for the elevator, which went down as soon as she entered.

Squall and Zell barged straight into the Headmaster's quarters, not even bothering to knock. Cid emerged from the back of the Bridge's platform collum, his suit looking a little ruffled – but no more worse to wear then usual. "What's going on, Squall? Cant I even take a nap in peace without somebody bashing down the door?!"

"I'm sorry Sir," Zell said, out of breathe, his face blackened by the smoke and the heat from the flames in the Security department. "But there's been some major shit going down!"

Cid drew in a deep breath, before walking forward, smoothing out his shirt as he opened the doors to his quarters. "I'd like to remind you to watch your language, Zell. This is a school, after all. And we'd better go find out just how much shit has been going down, shouldn't we?"

*          *            *

The sun was beginning to break over the wintry plains of Hawkwind in Trabia, the ice-covered lands a stark contrast to the interior of the Garden.

The entire first basement level had been almost gutted thanks to the fire that had eaten away at all things flammable. All equipment and data that hadn't been salvaged at the very last second had been destroyed, the fire not taking prisoners as it had eaten through computers, Desks and files. Not only that, but three students and a SeeD received third-degree burns to at least fifty-five percent of their bodies when they dashed through the flames to block of it's entrance into the Fuel room, underneath the second floor basement.

The corridors surrounding the Infirmary was filled with the wounded, their pitiful wails echoing all throughout the Garden. Dr. Kadowaki was losing pounds and pounds of weight as she dashed from the Infirmary beds containing the students and SeeDs from the war games to the corridors outside, containing the burn victims. Her face sweated heavily as she brushed past a make-shift nurse to check on a charred SeeD, his breaths coming in rapid bursts as Kadowaki cut away what was left of his ruined shirt to reveal the blistered and cracked flesh beneath.

_Step aside, Doctor…_ Rinoa pulsed, her smoking white eyes settling on the man as she placed a gentle hand on the Doctor's shoulder. The older woman allowed Rinoa to crouch/float beside the body, her wings folding behind her as she looked down at him, her hands passing over his body emitting a strong green glow.

"Are…are you…an angel?" the boy asked, his voice dry and croaking.

Rinoa paused, looking down at the boy with sadness in her smoking white eyes. _Yes I am. _she pulsed to him, unable to think of what else to say…

…But he was already dead.

*          *            *

"What the fuck do you mean you don't know what happened?!" Zell bellowed, his fist slamming into the broad table that they were sitting at.

They had arrived at Trabia in the nick of time, the Trabia SeeDs forgetting their usual hesitations concerning outsiders to accept the wounded with open arms, their ready team of healers and medics revitalising the fatigued Balamb SeeDs with a sorely needed morale boost. The fire had managed to spread from the Security Division onto the ground floor, wiping out half of the cafeteria and parts of the library before the SeeDs could get it under control.. 

Now Squall, Zell, Quistis, Irvine Selphie and Rinoa sat around the Trabia boardroom table with Seifer, Cid and Dr. Kadowaki, the nine major players in the Balamb Garden facility all in a major conference. And everybody's nerves were jumping.

"No, I didn't, you little shit! It's like I said, one second everything's going to plan, then next everything starts blowing up!!"

Squall held onto Rinoa's hand, the Sorceress exhausted from being in Sorceress form all night, the longest she had been able to hold it. She had just woken up from fainting from exhaustion, and was sitting quietly in her chair, not offering anything to the conversation. Squall spoke up, however. "Do you know the exact time when it happened, Seifer?"

Zell and Seifer sat back down, their bodies trembling with rage, shooting looks that would tear a normal person to shreds. Both had nothing against the other on this occasion – it was the sheer fact that something like this had happened, had hit them in a very vital point, and they needed to vent the anger.

Seifer sat back in his chair, slamming a palm into the paper before him and lifting it up. He studied it for a second, before slapping it back down onto the table. "I noted the time as 18:47 exactly – I was checking my watch when the shit went down."

Squall sat back in his chair, grasping Rinoa's hand tightly and not saying anything else, his scared brow furrowing in thought.

Cid sat up. "Our wounded are astronomical, and the damage done to the Garden is nigh to irreparable! How could have something like this happen?"

Irvine shrugged. "It could have been one of the other Gardens. They had perfect opportunities all day yesterday to plant bombs and such…though why they would remains a mystery."

Selphie looked at Irvine, warming to the reason. "Or maybe it was some people from within Balamb?! Remember that bastard Jeheyt? Maybe we didn't get all the Galbadian spies!!"

Cid shook his head. "No. Jeheyt was a lone infiltrator, working for the Defector Army. That he got that deep into the SeeD ranks still amazes me – but he was interrogated with extreme prejudice, and he swore on Hyne himself that he was the only one. And besides, what would Galbadia have to gain? President Justice is in our debt! He wouldn't want to kill off Garden."

Quistis looked up, her face tired. She had been in Trabia on some kind of top-secret mission for the last few months, and had been taken up to speed only moments before, yet her mind was already turning gears, her brain working like a well-oiled machine. "Well, the damage to the Garden isn't as large as you think it was, Sir, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to pilot it through the Sorbald Snowfields. Trabia Garden seems to be taking care of the wounded. The best course of action would be to sweep the ship for any more booby-traps and set a course for FH as soon as possible."

Squall looked up at Zell suddenly. "Zell, when did you enter your room when you got back yesterday?"

Zell scratched the back of his neck tiredly. He was beat, same as everybody else, and wanted – desperately – to snuggle to sleep with Angel by his side. He sighed wearily. "I dunno, man… about six thirty, six forty-five maybe…"

His voice trailed off as his tired brain made the connection. "No friggin way…"

"What? What is it?" Selphie asked.

"When we got back from being briefed at Galbadia Garden, I got to my room to find that it had been ransacked. Not only mine, by Squall's, Trish's and Julius' had been too. And we found them all at the exact same time as when the bombs went off."

"You think somebody rigged your doors with detonation devices after doing a once-over of your pad?" Irvine asked, before leaning back in his chair, blowing air out of this mouth through his teeth. "Whew…what do you suppose that means?"

The board was silent. Although the Universal Compression was supposed to be top secret, all the people in the room excluding Rinoa had clearance to the information. And, having been through Time Compression before, Quistis Irvine and Selphie were very interested to it's workings.

"We don't have time to worry about this right now, Zell." Quistis muttered, standing from her seat. "You're supposed to be going through the Arch today, right?"

"Obviously somebody didn't want me to get to Trabia in time…but yeah, we're supposed to go through today."

"I'll get on the comm. with Commander Carpenter, and see if he'll postpone the mission for another day – allow you to gather your strength."

Zell frowned, watching as Quistis walked for the door. "Hey, how do you know Carpenter?"

Quistis paused at the doorway, before turning and winking at Zell. "You're not the only one involved in this mission, Zell."

With that mysterious saying dropped into Zell's lap, she left the room. Seifer stood as well, heaving a sigh. "I'm going to go check on the wounded and re-assess the damage. I'll let you guys sort out this Compression thing by yourselves."

Selphie and Irvine moved to go too. "We need to liase with the Trabian SeeDs, see if they can help us with supplies until we can get the Garden to FH. We'll try and gather as much info as possible." Selphie and Irvine were known for their negotiation skills throughout the Gardens, and had strong ties within the SeeD ranks. If anything was being passed by word of mouth, Selphie and Irvine will hear about it before the end of the day.

Dr, Kadowaki stood also, her tired face looking over the remaining SeeDs. "This meeting was completely pointless. We need rest, all of us – it's too soon to be pointing fingers and figuring out what started all this."

Squall, Zell and Cid watched them all leave – before Cid sat back in his chair, obviously weary himself. "It's been a long night, boys." He muttered, the strength he had displayed all throughout the night suddenly disappearing to reveal the fatigue everybody felt. "Go and get some sleep. We'll figure out what happened later."

The boys nodded tiredly, pushing themselves to their feet and moving for the door, Squall having to rouse Rinoa in order to get her moving.

Cid was fast asleep before they shut the door.

*          *            *

Zell stumbled back into Balamb Garden, not even bothering to wave goodbye to Squall and Rinoa as they got to their room, instead running on autopilot to come at his door. Palming the door open, he shuffled in – to see anarchy.

_Right. Ransacked. Shit._

A quiet knock on his door made him wake up slightly, and he turned to see Angel standing in the doorway, her clothes covered in blood from taking care of the wounded all night long. "Hi, Zell…thought you might like to stay in my room tonight, seeing as your room is a bit of a mess…" she whispered, her voice beginning to crack under the pressure of fatigue and the sudden realisation of what had just transpired all those hours ago.

The destruction of Balamb Garden. 

Zell moved forward to embrace her, her body collapsing into his as easily as a breeze would, and together they made their way to her room slowly, not even bothering to take off their clothing as they rolled into bed, their silent tears replicated on countless other Balamb SeeDs and students as they tried to take heed of what had just happened the night before.

*          *            *

Zell opened his eyes, suddenly awake.

Hang on. Calm down. Where are you? 

He checked his surroundings, seeing the posters stuck on the walls, the neatly arranged wardrobe, the girl in his arms…

_Angel's room. Right. Time to assess what the hell went on._

Gently disengaging himself from Angel's embrace, he planted a kiss on her sleeping brow and left the room, needing a bit of time to think things through. He walked out of the Dorm room into the corridor, checking the time on his watch.

14:56. _Damn. I've been out all day._

Walking through the corridors, it slowly dawned on him that there was nobody in the corridors. Nobody meeting with friends. Nobody comparing notes. Nobody at all. _I guess fighting the fires had taken more out of the students that usual…_ He thought to himself, shoving his hands in his pockets.

He suddenly came across his room, the door still wide open from when Angel had came across him looking bewildered. He looked into the room from the corridor, seeing the mess it was in, and was about to walk on when something clicked in his mind. _The times…_ He remembered, turning and walking over to the door's frame, running his fingers along the edge of the metal frame that the door slid into.

He found it almost instantaneously, the small metal object no bigger then a one Gil coin. He pulled the device out from the little nook it had been crammed in and turned it over in his fingers, looking over it in amazement. _What does it mean? _His brain screamed, his eyes scanning the transmitter for any markings. Unsurprisingly there was none, and he placed the device into his pocket, promising himself to give it to Seifer to have a look at.

Walking on, he began to wake up a little more, his brain kicking into gear thanks to the shock of finding the device. _If the transmitter did set off the explosives…then the bomber must've been aiming for the records all along. They must've planted the bombs whilst the skeleton crew was on because of the war games, then came into our rooms and poked around for…what? Information?_

But that might mean that they were looking for something. Something that we obviously didn't have. Or maybe something we didn't have…until now.

Twisting on his heel, Zell sprinted back to his room, grabbing his mission file from where he had dropped it when the shock of finding his room ransacked had hit him. The contents had spilled out, and he hurriedly shoved them back into the folder, only having skimmed through the folder with Squall when they were being debriefed by Commander Carpenter.

He paused suddenly.

In his left hand was the folder, the blue cardboard-paper containing mismatched and unorganised papers, sticking out of the edges of the closed file. In his right was the picture of the army from the other Universe, only this one was digitally cleared up and focused on the Sorceress on the castle's escarpment, her wings brilliant in the blue sky.

The picture showed the woman as clear as if Zell had taken the picture himself. And that woman was... 

Zell took off into a run. He needed to find Squall. Fast.

*          *            *

Zell burst into the Trabian snow lands, seeming to not mind the biting cold as he bolted for the front entrance to Trabia Garden.

Unlike Galbadia Garden,. Trabia was filled with beautiful colours and happy people. Trees lined the edges of the walkways as Zell ran thought them, the elevator in the middle of the main area going up to the classrooms and Headmaster's quarters flanked by several ice sculptures of some GFs – Shiva mostly, Zell realised absently as he dashed through another corridor. Unlike Galbadia, Zell knew his way around Trabia – Selphie had dragged him along to meet her friends enough times to allow him to know where everything was.

He finally found the room where Squall was supposed to be and brushed down his burnt clothes, trying to look sane as he masked the worry in his face with a bit of effort.

SeeD Research and Development – WARNING – Restricted access!! 

Zell palmed the lock open, his A-Rank allowing him into most of the more inaccessible areas of Garden, and walked in, shutting the door behind him.

The R&D department was a fascinating place. Much like a science laboratory, it was where the more cerebral SeeDs spent most of their time, researching ways to refine and mix certain Magic's, as well as practise their weapon making skills, finding just what made the perfect gunblade, or making a gun that fired bullets with a little more velocity then the weight of the barrel would allow.

But mostly the R&D department was where SeeDs made new, exciting advancements in warfare technology. The new intercom systems, for example, had been designed and made in the Seed R&D, before being sold to armies worldwide. Zell had been amazed when the comm. system, laughingly called Walkie-Talkies by the SeeD veterans, had taken off in the world, and now there were civilian models being used. And they systems had only been released a few months ago!

Zell spotted Squall talking to Quistis, who had been in Trabia under 'top secret' orders ever since the whole Arch incident started. Zell had an inkling of what she was doing here – most likely Carpenter had asked her to study the Arch, along with a collaboration team of SeeDs. And, like a good soldiers, she had said yes. She was good at keeping a secret, and once she got stuck into something, she didn't let go until she was finished with it, so naturally she was the best suited for the job.

Zell overheard Squall and Quistis talking as he picked his way through the myriad of tubes and devices strewn all over the lab tables and walkways. "Are you telling me that it'll weight nothing at all?" Squall asked.

"That's right. You'll each get one too, and we'll give you your usual bits and pieces…potions, tents, you know…"

"Hey guys." Zell said, walking up behind them. Squall turned his head slightly and nodded, but Quistis turned and looked at him. Zell absently realised that they were clean and properly dressed – he looked like he had just come in from a shelling ground.

"Zell! We couldn't find you after the board meeting. You were suppose to sign in a twelve-hundred hours and report here."

Zell scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, sorry Quis. Kinda slept in…you know how it is…"

"And you haven't changed your clothes, either? Just where did you go?"

Zell scratched the back of his neck harder, seeing the look in Quistis' eyes. She was always playing big sister. "Me and Angel caught up after the meeting, and we went back to her room to sleep. My place is still a bit messy…and I was too tired to clean it up…"

Quistis placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry, Zell. I didn't know." She watched him shrug as if to say 'no biggie, Quis', and smiled at him. "Well, at least you're here. I was just telling everybody what we'll be fitting you with when you go through the Arch."

Zell frowned, all thoughts of the picture suddenly disappearing as he realised that Trish, Julius, Rinoa and Emily were sitting around the table, which was covered in what looked like reflective pieces of metal. "Fitting us? We're getting equipment?"

"Of course! We wouldn't send you into a Universal Compression without being prepared, would we?!"

Zell grinned. "Last time we went through we were still getting over the wounds of battling Adel, Quis. I'm not surprised if they send us through naked!"

Quistis smirked at the joke. "Well, unlike Laguna, I've planned this all out." She said, waving her hand over the metal objects strewn around the table. "Allow me to bring you up to speed. This metal is Orihalcom, the same stuff the men were wearing as armour when they came through the Arch. It's lightweight, can reflect small magic's, and is practically indestructible."

"Really?" Zell asked, walking over and picking up a piece of the fantastic metal. It reflected his face perfectly, and he realised just how dirty he was. He blinked as he watched the edges of the square metal began to bend around. "Uh, Quis, is it supposed to do that?" He asked nervously as it began to meld around his hand.

"Yes. What you picked up was the leg piece of the suit, but any piece can meld to any part of the body. I'd call it magic, but since we can't get even a tiny reading on our meters to suggest any magical properties, I have to assume that the metal is in fact alive."

Zell blinked, watching as the…thing wrapped itself to his hand perfectly, melding to the skin as if it had been tailored to him. In less then six seconds it had completely covered his hand and fingers and most of his upper arm too. "Alive?! So I'm wearing a living thing on my arm right now?!"

"Maybe. Like I said, we're not so sure. It reacts to heat and cold, cooling or warming respectively, and it does have a tendency to require coaxing when it doesn't want to part with somebody it 'likes'…but we still haven't observed any real intelligent forms of communication. It could be some kind of sentient life-form…but we're not even sure of that."

"So what are you sure of?" Julius asked, watching as his own hand became engulfed with the metal.

Quistis moved over to the other side of the table, picking up what looked like a backpack. "We're sure that whatever Orihalcom contains will be secure when it goes through the Arch. One of the men had metal fillings in his mouth – which would have surely been taken away had he passed though without wearing a helmet. So we've managed to whip together some backpacks and webbings for you guys, so you can carry some stuff through the Arch without having to lose it all on the other side."

"Which is good." Trish said, looking at Zell. "I wont lose any of my tools. And we'll be able to take a few other things, like hand-held computers and stuff."

"That'll be good for me." Julius muttered. "I'll be needing some special gear if I wanna do some field-hacking. I'm sure Trish's electronic door-handling skills would be sufficient – but most electronically equipment sings to me if I have the right gear."

Squall looked up from an item sheet he picked up from his folder. "We'll be fitted with all the usual SeeD gear – Walkie-Talkies, Tents, a few Elixirs each, as well as a few Phoenix Downs too. Plus, since the Orihalcom can bend to whatever shape you seem fit, it can be strapped to your back without you having to worry about it being in the way."

Zell blinked, before opening up his file and pulling out the paper that Squall had. "Cool! I'll be able to take my Uber Ehrgiez!!"

"And the best thing is, when the metal is in use, it doesn't weigh a thing." Quistis said, gesturing to Zell's arm. "Go ahead, try it out."

Zell smiled, turning and allowing his hand to fly out, ten lightening-quick punches delivered to an imaginary opponent in the matter of nano-seconds. "You're right! It's doesn't limit my movement at all!!" He cried. "I'm gonna have to get me some of this stuff after we've finished this!"

Quistis smirked. "It's one of the mission parameters to take out another one of those men to gather more of this stuff. So far we've been able to modify and make equipment for you guys out of only one suit – the other one is going through stringent tests to figure out what makes it tick."

Zell smiled. "We'll defiantly be trying to get more of this stuff! It's great!" He began to push at the metal, wanting to take it off. It didn't budge. Moving his fingers to the edge of the metal, he tried to push his fingers under the edge – but all the metal did was flatten out against his skin, making the gesture impossible. "Uh, how do you remove it?" He asked, feeling a slight panic rise in his stomach.

Quistis laughed out loud at his scared tone, before moving forward and taking his hand, turning it so the palm was up. "See this?" she asked, pointing at a small dot about five inches from his wrist. "Press down on it for five seconds."

Zell did what she asked, and the metal amazingly dropped off his hand, flopping limply off his arm and falling to the floor with a metallic flop. When he picked it up, it was like it was a wet towel – it hung limp in his hand. "It'll stay like that for about fifteen seconds, and then reform into the shape it was in last time." Quistis explained as Zell slapped the Orihalcom on the edge of the table, watching it slide off again.

"Cool…" He muttered, picking it up and placing it back on the table in a heap.

Quistis sighed. "Well, that's about it. Your stuff had been individually labelled, and all your respective equipment has been placed in the packs already. Double check it, then prepare yourselves – you'll be leaving as soon as you're ready."

With that said, Quistis walked away, leaving the group to their own devices.

Zell watched her go, before turning to look over the team. The tension that had been evident yesterday had melted away thanks to the fire – everybody smelled of smoke, and it was evident that they al did their part in helping fight the fires and help the wounded. Rinoa and Trish were looking through their packs together, chatting excitedly amongst themselves as they looked at what they would be using. Emily sat next to Squall, her own featureless expression mimicked by Squall's exactly as the both methodically checked their inventory. 

Julius moved next to Zell, setting Veronica down next to him and placing two packs down. "Here is yours, Zell." He said, pushing one pack over to the fighter before looking down at his own, talking excitedly. "Can you believe this stuff? They even made me a strap so I could sling Veronica onto my back without having to carry her everywhere. I tell you, it's amazing what the R&D people can do in only a few days, huh?"

"Yeah…" Zell said absently, opening the metal flap and looking through the pack with little enthusiasm. Now that the inherent excitement was gone, Zell suddenly remembered why he had come here, and fingered the photo in his pocket…before looking up at Squall. "I'll be back in a tick, man, I need to jaw with Squall for a sec."

Grabbing Squall's arm and leading him off into a different part of the room, he looked as Squall before giving him the picture. Squall, looking mildly surprised at the rude interruption of his inventory taking, looked down at the picture…before looking at Zell once more, still looking slightly surprised. "Yes?"

"You do know who that is, right?"

"Yes. It's Rinoa."

"And you do see the little caption underneath it with a little arrow pointing to Rinoa?"

"Yes I do, Zell."

"Do you see that it says 'Assassinate' in the little caption?"

Squall rolled his eyes. "What are you getting at, Zell?"

Zell looked at Squall, his face deadpan. "Dude. They're asking us to kill your girlfriend. Don't you feel a little…weird about it?"

Squall sighed, handing the photo back to Zell and crossing his arms. "Zell, unlike you I read the mission file. And I made sure that Rinoa read it too. Believe me, we're fine with it."

Zell shook the photo in front of Squall's face, his confusion and anger evident. "But…this is Rin! Sure, it's a freaky looking Rin, but…it's…it's Rin! Don't you see?!"

Squall shook his head, pushing Zell's hand down gently. "No, it's not. This Rinoa is different from my Rinoa. This Rinoa is evil." He could see that he hadn't convinced the fist-fighter, and gave him a pat on the shoulder in a friendly fashion, flashing one of his rare smiles. "Zell, it's not Rinoa. Okay? We'll do our job, and then take Rinoa home, all right? Now come on, we need to prepare."

Squall walked back to the table, and Zell looked down at the photo in his hand one last time…before sighing and walking back to the table, joining the others.

*          *            *

Well, I've been throwing monkey wrenches all over the works, haven't I? How will Zell, Squall and Rinoa take having to kill off another Rinoa?! We'll have to wait until the end, huh?

_At least now Squall can take his LionHeart gunblade, so he doesn't have to worry about acquiring a weapon. Plus, all the team-members can use their usual gear in order to get the job done! That Orihalcom stuff rules, huh?_

_And not only that, but Orihalcom will be playing an integral part in the story line, so listen out for it in later chapters, K?_

_Well, better get started on writing the next chapter! They'll be passing through the Arch in the next one – and the reception they'll receive wont be anything resembling pleasant! Be prepared for the first major battle of FF8 Tournament: Twist In Time – next chapter!!_


	8. Through The Arch Into War

Ch 8 – Through The Arch…Into War

Zell looked over the people in his team, trying to memorise the looks on their faces. "No turning back now, guys. This is the point of no return. You wont be considered a coward if you decide to turn back now. But I'm pretty sure that the fate of the world rests on our shoulders now. We aren't going to sit back and be attacked. This time, we're the attackers, we're on the offence. And we're going to win this thing. Who's with me?!"

He stared at his reflection for a second, the bathroom echoing the 'e' in 'me' as he tried the different approach to the speech. He lowered the hand he had pumped up into the air in a passion and looked at it, before allowing his head to drop limply. "Hyne, I'm such a dork…"

"What's wrong, Zell?" Angel called.

He looked up suddenly, fearing what she would see if she walked in on him now. "Uh – nothing. I'm all done dressing now." He shouted, pulling on his shirt.

He opened the door to Angel's bathroom and walked out, shouldering his Orihalcon backpack as he walked out. He twirled on the spot to show off the new accessory, before adopting a girly voice. "Is it me?" He squealed.

Angel laughed out loud, holding her sides as she saw the look he pulled. "Even if you were a girl you'd never be able to pull that off, Zell!"

Zell straightened up, brushing down his clean white shirt and shoving his hands in the pockets of his black and blue shorts. "Gee, thanks Ang. I love you too." He muttered sarcastically.

Angel wiped a tear from her eye and sighed, walking forward and slipping her arms around his hips. "I think it looks very good on you, Zell. You look very professional."

He was only dressed in his usual tee-shirt and shorts combo, his Dragon Skin Mavericks fit snugly onto his fists, but he still smiled sheepishly. "Do you think?" Sure, the gun-metal grey Orihalcon backpack fit so well it looked like he had been born with it…but it still freaked Zell out a little bit that the metal could actually be considered a living entity.

"I do." She whispered, stretching up to plant a kiss on his lips.

She held the kiss for a full ten seconds, before pulling back, looking into his eyes. "What? What's wrong?" She whispered, seeing the sadness within his deep blue orbs.

"It…it might be a while until we see each other…I wanna remember our last time together. You know…in case something happens."

Angel frowned, her tone playful. "Zell Dincht. You've never acted like this when you went on all your other missions."

Zell's response was deadly serious. "That's 'cos I knew I'd return. But this one…there's no guarantees, babe. Who knows what I might encounter on the other side of that thing…and…and I just wanna make sure that…" His voice trailed off, his eyes cast down, the shy side of Zell Dincht emerging for a rare showing of pure affection.

Angel sighed, brushing a part of his hair down and tufting up his spiked front. "Zell…you'll return…and then we'll have plenty of time to catch up, okay?"

He nodded silently…before lifting his head, planting a soft kiss on her forehead…and walking out of the dorm room without another word.

He didn't want to say goodbye.

Not yet.

*          *            *

"Hey Julius, are you ready yet?" Trish called, waiting next to the blond hacker's door, her back leaned against the wall, her arms crossed. She checked her watch. "We're going to be late if you're any longer."

She was dressed in her usual ensemble – black tracksuit pants with black sneakers, with a blouse with the words 'kiss this' stencilled across a picture of a fist. Her blond hair was wrapped up into a bun, the way that Angel had shown her. 'This way your hair wont get in the way when you fight!', Angel had bubbled pleasantly as she had shown her how to do it. Trish had just smiled politely and looked at herself in the mirror. It just wasn't _her_…as soon as she was through the Arch, or whatever it was called, she pull the bun out and put it back into its usual ponytail – the way it was supposed to be when she worked.

The door suddenly opened, and Julius walked out, his pack snapped securely to his back, the five-three long ice-shard containing Veronica tightly bound in material and strapped to the packs back horizontally, part of the swag peeking out from behind his left shoulder whilst the other half stuck out a bit past his right hip. He was dressed much like her – black SeeD training pants and SeeD boots, with a navy-blue sweat-shirt covering his massive chest. The metal straps of the Orihalcon pack bit into his shoulders, and he shoved the pack up a bit, allowing the weight to spread out a bit.

"Isn't she heavy?" Trish asked cautiously, watching as Julius walked out of the room, getting a feel for the new way to carry Veronica around.

Julius looked down at her, his eyes sad behind his spectacles…before he shook his head. "Never." He muttered, before setting off down the corridor, not bothering to wait for Trish.

*          *            *

"Come on, Rinoa."

"Wait, Squall, wait! One last thing!!"

"We're only supposed to bring a few clothes and our equipment. Too much will slow us down."

"But can't I take this?"

"What will you need a ballroom dress for?!"

"You never know!! There might be a ballroom dance we'll have to infiltrate…"

"…Leave it."

"Oh, come on Squall!! Pleeeease?"

"…Whatever."

"Thank you!!"

Squall rolled his eyes as Rinoa planted a kiss on his cheek, before helping her stuff her bag closed and held the door open for her. _It wasn't if she ever wore anything different anyways…she had the same colour scheme for everything…blue with black…you wouldn't catch me dead in that._

"What are you thinking?" Rinoa asked, her voice all bubbly as she smiled up at her knight.

He heaved a sigh and shook his head. "Nothing…"

*          *            *

Zell neared Emily's dorm room – before he saw the door open, Emily walking out and closing the door behind her. She was dressed in her usual attire – same as everybody, except for the fact that it looked like someone had unleashed a series of serrated knifes at it. Zell didn't notice her at first – before realising that she had taken out her face jewellery. He figured that it actually suited her – not that he would say it to her face.

"How was the damage?" he asked, walking up behind her.

His question seemed to startle her, and she spun to face him. "Oh…it's only you…what do you mean?"

"The damage. To your room. We all had our rooms turned upside down, remember?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Think, Hunter. I was just admitted a room here. Nobody touched my room because nobody knew which room I was going to occupy."

Zell thought for a second…before nodding. "Point."

Emily rolled her eyes and brushed past him, her tone saying it all – "What a dumbass."

"Sticks and stones?" Zell shook his head and smiled. "You've done worse, Em…" He said to himself, before turning and following her.

*          *            *

They all met at the front entrance of Trabia Garden, dressed for summer in a winter environment. Trish and Rinoa shivered uncontrollably, whilst the rest of them didn't even acknowledge the cold – they were too hard-core.

Squall watched as his breath curled out into the wind, and spared another glance at his chronometer, heaving another sigh. "They're late…" He muttered, wrapping his arm around Rinoa's shoulder as she cuddled against him for warmth.  "The file said they'd be here by fifteen-thirty precisely."

"W-w-what t-t-time is it?" Trish chattered, trying to keep her teeth from clattering as she stood between Julius and Zell, who seemed to be radiating warmth just by their easy stances in the harsh cold.

Emily stood apart form the group. She revelled in the cold. "It's fifteen-thirty five. Be patient." She muttered over the blowing wind, not even bothering to check her watch.

They waited a few more minutes, the only sounds being the wind blowing the snow around their feet like tumbleweeds in a desert and Rinoa and Trish's chattering teeth. Trish shuffled a bit closer to Zell, basically rubbing against him, and blew on her hands to keep them warm. The action proved useless, however, and she shoved them unceremoniously back under her armpits. "I d-don't know about y-y-you guys…" she chattered. "B-b-but I'm friggin f-f-freezing!"

"What do you want? A medal?" Emily muttered harshly. "Do you think the wind's going to die down just because you think it's bad?"

Zell smirked. "Why not? You stopped it at the Tournament, remember?"

Emily smiled at the comment, and shot a look to Zell that would melt permafrost. "That was different, Hunter." She growled, before returning to her brooding.

Trish looked up at Zell, her trembling face – which was beginning to turn blue – full of confusion. "Why d-d-does she c-c-call you that?"

Zell smiled down at her, before uncrossing his arms. Opening one of his fists, a tiny flame burst into life, and Trish jumped onto it greedily, holding her hand out to the small but steady flame in his palm. "It's a nick-name from when we fought against the Sorceress that SeeDs use. The final stage of the battle had us moving through the Sorceress' Castle of Chain, and Squall, who was leader, set me on point. Our magical powers were locked by the Sorceress at the time, and he gave me the job of finding out where we were supposed to unlock them and to find the Sorceress."

"So I suppose you found the magic and the Sorceress, right?" Trish asked, her voice returning to normal as Zell upped the paramagical output to the Fire, allowing Trish to bask in it's warmth.

"Yeah. It only took me three hours! And that included the fights against all the bad-ass monsters that were in the castle." Zell noted the pride in his voice, and allowed it. _Hey, everybody is allowed to be a bit egotistical now and then, right?_ He figured.

"So…if you're Hunter…who are the rest?"

Zell placed a finger on his lip as he tried to remember. "Well, I know for a fact that Irvine is called Slayer, cause he took on Edea all by himself and won by barely taking a scratch…uh, Squall's called Leader, coz that's what he was…our leader…um, Selphie…what did I call Selphie?"

"Annoying." Squall muttered, letting go of Rinoa, who happily pounced on the flame in Zell's hand.

"Very funny, Squall. No, I think she was The Pilot…coz she was the only one who could fly the Ragnarok, without having any previous experience…Quis was called Saviour, coz she was always saving us all in the nick of time in our battles…and Rin was our Sorceress."

"Cool…" Trish muttered, looking into the flame in Zell's hand.

"Good old days, Hunter?" Emily muttered, her tone sarcastic.

"Hey, it wasn't fun! The names were given afterwards…during the celebration party. I think I overloaded on hotdogs that night…"

Rinoa smirked, her cheeks beginning to turn rosy again thanks to the flame. "Yeah…as if that was possible…"

"Here it comes." Julius muttered suddenly, pointing up to the sky and causing every person to stop speaking as they looked up to watch the giant metal dragon float out of the clouds like a demon from the heavens.

*          *            *

Imagine a dragon. Now give it plates and plates of body armour. Then give it twin .60 calibre chain fed mini-guns strapped to its forearms.

You'd have a fair idea of what the Ragnarok would look like.

Infinitely smaller then the Gardens – but a hell of a lot more versatile – the Ragnarok spaceships were an Estharian design, originally used in space exploration when Esthar was still regarded as an 'unknown' country. Esthar's space travels hadn't proved very conclusive – mostly because the first Ragnarok, Ragnarok Neo, had disappeared off Estharian screens after only three months of being in space.

The Estharians had then refused to go any further then their own planet, keeping to the orbital space-station which had flourished since it's launching way back when Laguna first came onto the Presidential scene.

It had only been a miracle – a _big_ miracle – that Squall and Rinoa had come across Ragnarok Neo when they had been cast out into space after an…_unfortunate_ chain of events.

That had been a good five years ago. Since then a whole plethora of Ragnaroks had been made, mostly for President Laguna's leisure – but they also came in handy for some SeeD missions, and SeeD had managed to acquire some of their own after helping Laguna…settle some debts, so to speak.

Suffice to say, they could house ten people more then comfortably for a good year, had space travel capabilities – although if you were to use the hyper-drive on Gaia the resulting shockwave would shatter every reflective surface from here to FH – and was a quick and relatively covert way to deal with some missions.

Covert, you say? Well, better to see a big friggin dragon bearing down on you then Balamb Garden. The targets were more likely to soil themselves then be prepared to fight when seeing a large red dragon coming at you at high-velocities.

Speaking of which, Trish looked up at the giant red dragon and simply uttered one syllable. "Guh…"

She had seen them neatly stored away in a gigantic hanger when she had infiltrated Esthar in order to steal some of Laguna's money – not all of it, just a little, and some other trinkets too – and seeing the great red dragon folded quietly in a hanger was nothing compared to seeing it in action. She had gasped when she had stumbled across them in the hanger – but her surprise then was pale in comparison to her surprise now.

Zell watched as it landed like he had seen it done a million times before, and thumped her on the shoulder, snuffing out the Fire in his palm as he walked towards where the loading-bay doors were opening. "Coming?" he shouted over the whine of the after-burners, the humour on his face evidently jabbing fun at her.

The shock of watching the giant dragon as well as the suddenly burst of coldness hitting her like a punch in the guts killed off her sharp retort, and she quickly ran after him.

*          *            *

Somebody was waiting for them on the edge of the loading bay's ramp as it came down, and as they got nearer, the face of the waving figure became clearer.

Squall immediately face-palmed out of habit. His father, the President of Esthar, had decided to accompany them. This hadn't been in the missions proceedings.

"Hey guys! I just decided to join you on your way to the Arch thingy, just to make sure nothing happens like the last time you borrowed the Ragnarok!" Laguna cried over the sound of the turbines, his smile as wide and ignorant as it always was. With silver on his temples and wearing a thick Estharian official winter robe, he looked every part of an Estharian President – until you looked him in the eye. Then he looked like an adventurer, an explorer, and  - mostly – and over-excited child. "Come on! We'll get you all snug and cosy in the leisure centre, and you guys can tell me what this is all about! Matt hasn't told me squat!!"

"Father, you do know what 'confidential' means, right?" Squall yelled as he lighted the landing bay.

"Hell, Squall, I can't even spell whatever that is!!" Laguna crowed, slapping a hand around Squall's shoulder – before seeing Rinoa gripping Squall's coat around her tightly, Squall still wearing it, the girl shivering within the warm confines. "By gods, Squall, when did you become joined to a woman?!" Laguna cried in surprise.

"This is Rinoa, father. Remember? Sorceress? Wings and smoking eyes?"

Laguna face-palmed. "Oh, right, silly me! How are you, my dear!?"

"…C-c-cold…"

"…Right, well, we'll get you all warmed up right quick, how's that sound?"

Zell chuckled and shook his head. "Clueless as ever, I see…" he muttered to himself as he joined the rest of the group as the followed Laguna in…before jumping in fright as he felt a pair of hands grip his back, turning his head to see a very frightened Trish cowering behind him. "What? What's wrong?" He asked as the landing bay doors shut behind them, shutting out the biting cold.

"Uh…Zell…you know how I broke into the Esthar Presidential Suite, right?"

Zell nodded. "Yeah. Your rap sheet showed that you stole a few personal items of Laguna's and left. You returned them a few days later, coz they were used to show the Thief's Guild you were good enough to get in and out without being seen."

"Yeah…right…well, about the whole 'unseen' bit…"

"Yeah?"

"…It's not exactly true."

Zell blinked, not knowing what to say. He spoke slowly, gesturing for her to continue. "So…this means what?"

She stamped her foot suddenly, her words slipping out of her mouth faster then she could stop them. "He was supposed to stay asleep, his REM patterns suggested that, but when I cracked the safe at the foot of his bed he woke up, and I had planned to take a short break to regain my strength before teleporting out of the room, but he asked me what I was doing, so I…" She stopped suddenly, looking down at her feet.

Zell frowned, dumbfounded. "You…what? What did you…" It slowly dawned on him, the answer peeking over the top of his bran before his mind grabbed it by the neck and pulled it harshly into the light. "Oh my Hyne. You didn't…do the nasty with Laguna, did you!?"

Trish was still looking at her feet as she nodded meekly.

Zell had to support himself, his hand hammering into the wall as he leant against it. "Oh my gods I'm going to be sick…"

"It all happened so fast!! I just gave him a kiss first, and I was supposed use my Sleepy Power on him while he was distracted, but he's a _good _kisser, and one thing lead to another, and…"

"Oh, now I'm _really_ going to be sick…"

"He fell asleep afterwards, and nothing happened when I scouted the area the morning after, so I think he thought it was a dream…but for the love of the gods, don't tell him anything!"

Zell looked up from dry retching. "I wouldn't been able to if you hadn't told me!!"

"I know, but if he puts two and two together I want somebody to help me if he gets angry, that's all…"

"Okay, first off, Laguna would _never_ be able to put two and two together, he's not the brightest when it comes to maths…" Zell muttered, regaining his composure. "And secondly, if he had any idea, he'd probably revel in the idea rather then bust you! I mean, have you looked in the mirror lately!? You're a walking piece of A-Grade, and believe me, Laguna would love the idea of getting with you."

Trish looked at him for a second, her expression unreadable. "I don't know wether or not to take that as a compliment."

"Take it as both, just don't slap me again!" Zell said, patting her on the shoulder. "And for the duration of the mission, could you keep the sexual gymnastic stories to yourself?"

"I'll try, but I'm not making any promises, Hunter!"

Zell sighed and rolled his eyes. "Thanks…I think…now come on, they'll be waiting for us."

*          *            *

Apart from a few vague stares, Laguna didn't seem to recognise Trish from his dream, and they happily avoided revealing anything top-secret to him as the Ragnarok made the quick trip to where the Arch was – the giant crater within the Almaj Mountains. Setting down a few meters from the edge of the invisible barrier that rebelled anything that tried to pass through it, the Ragnarok offloaded it passengers, the group of SeeDs waving goodbye to Laguna as he said his goodbyes from the edge of the loading ramp, almost falling off as the Ragnarok took flight.

Julius sighed happily, looking around himself in the valley. "He seemed nice enough…"

Trish blew out a long breath, one that she felt she had held the entire hour-long trip. "Yeah, a real saint…"

Zell shook his head. "Come on. We'll be late if we stick around with our thumbs up our butts."

They began to trudge forward, moving through the dry grounds with speed. Coming up to the edge of the crater, Zell reached out, his gloved hand moving forward unerringly – before suddenly stopping, as if he had placed it on a pane of crystal-clear glass. "Still freaks me out…" He muttered as he ran his hand over the invisible Barrier.

Supposedly it was the site of the first Lunar Cry, the first time that monsters from the Moon had fallen to Gaia in an enormous teardrop of blood. Nobody knew why the Barrier was there – it just was, and had been around for quite some time, long enough for people to forget when they realised that it had sprung up, basically overnight.

The centre of the crater was hard to make out from this distance, but the Arch, standing in elderly glory, marked it. Zell could see a lot of commotion going on around it, and he could also see the tracks leading from the tunnel dug underneath the Barrier, allowing entrance to the centre. Zell followed where the tunnel's exit was, and saw the mouth just a few yards away, making tracks towards it.

As they neared the mouth Zell realised that somebody was waiting for them. "Zell!" Commander Carpenter cried, looking splendid in his usual suit and tie combo as he waited at the mouth of the cave. "How are you? I heard of the fire in Garden – is everybody alright?"

"We'll survive, Commander – we always bounce back." Zell said, not really feeling like talking to the commander-in-chief of all the Gardens. "Are we all set?"

"Yes, Zell. Follow me." He gestured for the group to follow, and they did wordlessly, moving past several armed SeeDs into the dark cave. A large Estharian transport disc sat a few yards beyond the guards, and they all walked onto it, before Carpenter stepped on the activation device, the disc rising and floating down the tunnel at a relatively fast speed. Carpenter gestured to the roof of the cave as it whizzed past. 

"We don't know why, but the Barrier doesn't penetrate the ground. Therefore, we figured that we could tunnel under it – and we were amazed when we found the Arch, right in the middle of the crater. Of course there are the Arches strewn all over Gaia from the Time Compression – but they were inactive, and had been inactive since Sorceress Ultimecia's death."

Carpenter continued to spout on about how they had set up a self-sufficient SeeD base in the centre of the crater, explaining how the hundred-strong crew of SeeDs examined and tested the Arch on an almost daily basis. "Of course, the research team only numbers in the twenties – the rest are guards and the such."

"Why so many?" Trish asked, standing alongside a silent Squall. "I mean, if you were just studying it, why would you need so many guards?"

"Precautions, my dear. After the Time Compression a whole swarm of new monsters managed to squeeze out of the Arches before they mysteriously shut off, and as these monsters were a lot more different from the regular monsters, this Arch does pose a serious threat to the safety of Gaia. The attack made by the three foreign elements proves that."

Sunlight began to peek out from the edge of the tunnel, and as they broke into the light, Carpenter smiled, waving his hand out dramatically. "We're here."

The tunnel ended closer to the Arch then Zell expected, and he couldn't help but gasp at the enormity of it. The towering marble pillars were larger and thicker then any Zell had seen before, and seemed to reach up into the heavens. The arch of the top, made of the same marble, as adorned with the same markings as the Time Compression Arches – except the arch was about fifteen times larger. Not only that, the entrance to the Arch – the area that twisted and twirled in paramagical anomalies and universal paradoxes – was different from the Time Compression ones.

Time Compression entrances had been a deep purple, Ultimecia's favourite colour, and had had a spiralling vortex that seemed to suck everything into it. This Arch, though bigger then the Time Compression Arches, was coloured a deep blue, and had no vortex – it simply sat there, still as water, the reflections of the universes paradoxes reflected perfectly.

Squall, uncharacteristically, gasped. "My gods…it's big enough to send entire platoons of troops through…"

"Exactly." Carpenter said. "If more of those foreign elements decide to come through, it would mean the end of Gaia. It took the entire security division to bring one to his knees – how would the world cope with a hundred of these soldiers? A thousand? Or the number in the picture that we acquired?" He sighed. "It just goes to show – we aren't as powerful as we like to think we are, even with the GFs."

"Speak for yourself…" Emily muttered arrogantly, looking up at the Arch as if she had a bad taste in her mouth.

They finally arrived at the edge of the Arch, the tiers of scaffolding wrapped around the edge of the marble pillars busy with scientists and soldiers, everybody scurrying to record the event or to simply reach their battle-stations – just in case something decided to stumble through.

Carpenter walked with Zell as the two of them lead the team to the edge of the Arch. "We're counting on you, Zell. We don't know what you'll find on the other side, all we have to go on is that you might come across resistance as soon as you get to the other side – so stay sharp."

"Of course, sir."

"And one more thing…" Zell turned to Carpenter, looking him straight in the eye as he placed a hand on the SeeD's shoulder, the Commander's words full of sincerity. "Good luck."

Zell nodded. "I don't think we'll be needing it…but thanks anyways, sir."

Carpenter nodded, before turning and walking down the ramp, passing the rest of the group without another word.

Now finally alone, Zell looked up at the Arch, fully accepting the sheer size and girth of the paranormal thing. He felt fear growing in his belly, an anticipating feel. _You know what happens when you go through._ The fear growled, scuttling around in his stomach like a rat trapped in a box. _You'll be pulled apart and put back together again…your mind will become one with theirs…everybody will know you, and forget you…_

Zell snorted, gripping the fear by the scruff of the neck and throttling it, feeling it's power flow into his confidence, feeling his stomach finally settle – before turning to the team.

Trish and Julius were looking up at the Arch in awe, a mixture of curiosity and fear on their faces. Rinoa's face mimicked their fear – but it lessened as Squall placed his arm around her, allowing her to feed of his unwavering confidence. His blank face stared straight at Zell, waiting for the next move. Emily stood a little apart from the group as usual, but her sight was also fixed on Zell, waiting for the order.

Zell gulped, turning to look at the mixture of movements within the screen of paranormal energy, before turning back to the team. "Okay guys, this is where I say something uplifting and courageous and get you all fired up to go…but I cant think of anything."

"We know, Zell…" Rinoa said, her voice calm. "We believe in you."

They all nodded except for Emily, who rolled her eyes and snorted.

Zell sighed again, before turning and reaching up hesitantly with a hand, reaching out with his fingers to probed the screen. His fingers slipped in smoothly, the wall of colour rippling with the action, and he pulled his fingers back out quickly, blinking in surprise. "Its…electrifying…" He muttered…before taking a deep breath and stepping in.

*          *            *

Imagine your soul twisting and turning, doing loop-de-loops with your mind and tying knots around your conscience.

_Imagine your body twisting and turning, every bone smashing into paste before solidifying instantly, every vessel bursting before the droplets of blood smashed back into the lines, your eyes popping and enveloping back into reality._

_Imagine a deep, burning pain from within as everything that you hold dear, everything you hold sacred – memories, wishes, lusts, desires – are torn from you and raped again and again before you, the images burning into the back of your eyes, your mind screaming that it cant take it anymore, that it will do anything to escape the horror, that it would kill in order to make the terror disappear…_

*          *            *

He had walked into the Arch, but it spat him out like a person spitting out chewing gum, his body flying out of the other end of the Arch into the air, his limbs flailing like a tossed rag-doll…before he slammed into rocky ground, Zell's body twisting and tumbling along the ground before finally lying still.

Nothing moved. The ripples in the Arch subsided, like ripples on the face of a pond, time allowing the movements to slow to nothingness. Wind blew around the desolate area, the only plant life being small shrubs that barely even quivered with the wind, they were so pitiful.

It began to rain, the desolate wastes around the Arch suddenly turning red as blood as the rock-dust became wet, the clouds above thundering their hatred for the world as they cried tears of clear retribution.

There was no sound except the wind and the rain …and a cough.

Zell rolled onto his back, his body feeling like somebody had just played rugby all over it with nails in the boots and using a medicine ball to thump goals on his head, which throbbed like a pimple about to burst.

"Ohhh…" He groaned, running his hands painfully up and down his body to check if anything was broken. "I'm never doing that again."

He managed to flip himself up onto his feet, the initial pain now subsiding into the worst headache he had every felt, but he had a feeling that that would go away soon too. The rain helped, and he turned his head up to gulp at it greedily, before looking down at the massive pillars. He moved towards the Arch, expecting the others to come through any time now.

It didn't take long. As he neared the screen there was a cosmic boom, a cataclysmic clap of sound as another body flew out of it at high velocities, cleaning him up and causing the both of them to crash into the ground and skid back a yard or two. Zell managed to keep his balance, his boots digging into the hard rock as the body he caught slowly returned to inertia, and he looked down to see Trish convulsing in his arms, her eyes upturned into her head as she went into shock.

"Hang on, hang on…" Zell cried, running for the nearest puddle and scooping water into her face, tapping her lightly on the side of the cheek as her eyes finally rolled into the right positions. She stared blankly at him, before slowly bursting into painful tears, flinging her arms around his neck.

"I don't wanna do that again, please say we don't have to do that again!!" She wailed. "Everything hurt so much, I don't wanna do it again!!"

Zell rubbed her back soothingly. "There there…we wont have to for a while, and you're alright now, seriously, it's okay…"

Another sonic boom sounded, and Zell set Trish down and whirled on the spot, ready to catch the next person who came through…but he didn't need to.

Squall, Rinoa, Julius and Emily all walked out of the Arch, blinking in amazement in the rain – before falling to their knees, obviously fatigued from the fantastic journey. Rinoa huddled close to Squall, her cries ringing out into the night sky as Squall held her close, his own tears rolling down his cheeks. Julius had simply fallen to his knees, Veronica propping him up as his body fell backwards, and he sat like that, allowing the rain to fall on his face. He blinked, surprised, as the glass for his spectacles suddenly fell to his face, the metal frame disappearing before his eyes in a red flash.

Emily fell to her hand and knees, crawling form the Arch for a few seconds – before vomiting violently.

The travel had taken much more out of them then Zell had anticipated. He was feeling all right now – but the memory was burned into his mind now, no amount of GF use would erase it, and he did not want to go through the giant marble columns in a hurry.

He sat down wearily, the rain soaking his clothes as he pressed a stud on the side of his Orihalcon pack, the flap springing open. He pulled out his Uber Ehrgiez Gauntlets, the red and silver weapons of destruction slipping onto his hands as easily as a pair of latex gloves. "We'll take five…regain our strength…" He called, amazed to find his throat rather dry. "Then we'll start to head out."

*          *            *

Zell pulled the pack off his back, ignoring the rain as he opened the main compartment and rummaged around inside it – before finding a tiny vial of green glowing liquid.

Pulling the cork of the Potion out with his teeth and spitting it out, he greedily gulped the contents down, knocking it back like a shot of bourbon. Wiping his lips, he placed the small glass vial back into his pack – he found out when he was a kid that if he kept the vials, he was allowed to get them refilled at Item shops worldwide for half the price. It was a small money-saving technique that had saved him a lot of Gil during the Sorceress Quest.

He sensed somebody walk up to him, and swivelled in his seat to see Trish stumbled over, sitting down beside him with a wet plop. She looked at him dumbly for a second, before doing what he did – pulling her pack off, she reached into it and pulled out a Potion, doing the green glowing liquid in one go before tossing the vial away. She sighed as she turned to him. "So – was that what Time Compression was like?"

"No. That was hell. Time Compression was a walk in the park compared to that." Zell grumbled, heaving another sigh.

"No shit." Rinoa mumbled, staggering over to where they were sitting and plopping down next to Trish. "Time Compression was a breeze compared to that. That was…so…" She shuddered. "Ergh…"

"Don't remind me…" Zell mumbled, scratching the back of his neck, before looking up into the sky. "Well, at least the rain helps."

"Yeah…it doesn't feel that bad, actually…" Trish said, lifting her head to allow the water to fall into her mouth.

"Stop that!!" Somebody screamed, and everybody turned to see Squall run forward and tilt her head back down.

"What?! What's wrong with it?!" She yelled back, obviously pissed off that she couldn't take a drink.

"We're in a different universe." Squall muttered, his voice ice cold. "We don't even know if the air is alright to breath."

Everybody stopped then, the realisation hitting them like sledgehammers. "Oh…" Trish gasped, closing her mouth to the slew of swear words she was going to blast Squall to oblivion with.

"Don't be so hasty, Squall…" Julius called, and everybody turned to see him sitting on the ground cross-legged, a small laptop open and casting a bright blue glow on his face as he typed furiously. There was a tinny chime from the waterproof computer, before he closed it. "Analysis confirmed. Water's fine, air's fine. The only thing wrong with the planet is that it's got a different continent size on it. Where Galbadia is supposed to be is a small island – we're currently on where Esthar is."

Zell walked forward, poking a finger at the computer. "How'd you do that?"

"This is your general, all purpose SeeD field computer…with a few modifications done by myself, of course." Julius looked proud as he pulled a spare pair of spectacles from his pack, patting Veronica as he put them on. "I simply hacked into one of the weather satellites orbiting this Gaia."

Zell's smile was big and broad as he gave the computer whiz a thumbs up. "Cool, man! Good thinking!" He turned to Squall, who was looking at the computer in amazement. "See Squall! I knew it was a good idea to bring these guys!"

Squall paused for a second, contemplating what to reply with – before his brain suggested the usual reply. "Whatever."

Zell's bellowed laughs were cut short as a blast of hot Fire sizzled through the air, the resulting explosion ripping through the middle of the group and causing them to split. Zell's game face was on as he looked around, his mind a blur as he tried to figure out where the blast had come from. "Everybody on your guard! Hostiles in the area!" He yelled, putting his arms up in a defensive stance.

"Where?" Squall yelled back, ripping his pack off his back and pulling out his LionHeart, which he had hurriedly stuff into the pack at the last second of packing, activating the beam-sword and slashing it through the air, loosening the muscles in his wrist.

"Rinoa?" Zell yelled.

Rinoa reacted instantly, standing and concentrating – before her eyes glowed a bright green, the Scan magic flooding out into the waste-lands.

The areas around them were rocky, to say the least – for about a quarter mile the area around the Arch was flat as a piece of paper, but after that great chunks of rock stuck out of the ground, as if some magnificent battle had gone on, disrupting the very earth on which they stood.

The green bathed the areas in which Rinoa looked, and she turned her head to the right slowly, scanning the area with the magic – before the green suddenly died down and she pointed a finger at a small clump of upturned rucks. "There!!" She screamed.

Almost immediately every person with magic unloaded at the clump of rocks, the minerals being turned to atoms the moment the Fires, Thunders and Blizzards hit them. The rocks exploded into big rocky chunks, and dust was blown into the rain-filled air, covering the area they had just obliterated.

Julius took a step forward, his body shielding Veronica as she lay on the ground. "Did we get them?" He called.

Everybody waited with baited breath, waiting for the dust to clear, waiting for the sign of the all clear…

But the all clear wasn't given as five men, all clad in Orihalcon, walked up the slope on which they had destroyed. Two carried great, serrated swords – the rest were unarmed. One of the three who were unarmed waked forward, small markings on the chest and arms of his suit of armour. Lines of rank, Zell thought. _Military…obviously._

This man lifted a hand, and the two swordsmen walked to the left quickly, the other two men moving to the right…before the first guy, obviously in charge, spoke, his chillingly robotic voice ringing clear even though they couldn't see past his helmet. "_Anybody who passes through the Tidus dies. Make sure they don't escape."_

*          *            *

It was like an order for war. One second they were advancing – the next, Zell was barking orders, taking control of the situation. "Julius, Emily, you take the two on the right! Squall, you and me will take the two on the left! Rinoa, go Angel and provide magic support! Trish stays back and keeps an eye open for an opportunity! Remember your training, stay sharp, and stay frosty! Do it!!"

Everybody paired off and got started. Zell and Squall exploded from their positions, Zell screaming a battle cry with malice and death as he bore down on the one on the far left, his sword held out to the ready. Squall ran forward, his LionHeart burning a deep slash through the ground as he skidded to a stop before the second one, his gunblade swinging up to meet his opponent.

Zell's punch cut a channel through the rain-filled atmosphere as the Adamantine slammed into the other man's chest, a great boom emitting from the two collisions as they slammed together. The man took the attack in stride, the punch forcing him back a step – before he advanced, the sword in his hands glinting in the lighting that scorched the skies as he slashed it across Zell's chest, the attack missing by mere millimetres as Zell flipped backward. Landing on his feet, Zell slapped aside another attack and pummelled the man's helmet, grabbing it forcefully and stuffing it under his arm before hammering it again, and again, and again…before the man grabbed Zell's leg and swung him around like a rag doll, over his head and away from him, Zell's body flying straight through the air to pass straight through a column of natural rock and slam into the ground behind it, skittling away from the fight at extraordinary speed.

Squall's attack had been halted by the other man's sword at the very last second, Squall's energy blade glowing a bright blue as the other man's helmet visor retracted like a sliding screen, showing Squall his eyes. They were a bright green, and full of anger. The two swordsman were locked in a stalemate, their blades pushing against each other's in a deadly battle of will – whoever lucked out would be on the attack, forcing the other to defend. Their swords sparked bright light as the edges screamed against each other, Squall's teeth gritted with effort as he pushed the LionHeart up, the bright blue glow of the energy blade casting an eerie effect on the Orihalcon as it reflected the light perfectly – before the man pushed down with a supreme effort, knocking Squall back momentarily – and that was all the time the man needed. He was immediately on the offence, his sword slashing and cutting sheathes of water out of the air as the attacks rang off Squall's blade, the Orihalcon edge singing as it slashed the very atmosphere in twain, forcing the SeeD back another step…then another…then another.

*          *            *

Emily and Julius had their hands full with the other fighters – literally. Emily didn't even run forward – she simply held her hand out, her eyes glowing a bright Blue, allowing her Controlled Float attack she cast to pick the man up and fling him high up into the air – before bringing him down in bone-crushing fashion, the man landing on his neck with a sickening 'prang', the Orihalcon metal ringing against the rocks as Emily threw her hand to the right, the man's body cutting chunks out of the ground as he was dragged across by the invisible force.

Julius ran straight up to the other man – and hammered his fist into his head, the fleshy sound of knuckle hitting metal ringing out over the clearing. Grimacing as the man took it in stride, Julius pulled his sore hand back and launched a devastating round-house kick to the mid-section, the SeeD boot hammering into the spot it was intended – without any response from the man. There was a robotic chuckle form the man as he watched Julius shake his hand painfully, and shrugged as if to say _please continue._

_Shit…_ Julius thought to himself, lowering his leg and taking a step back. _I really need some protection on my hands before I break my knuckles on his armour._ Focusing his power, Julius suddenly stepped forward; the bases of his palms placed together, the double palm attack blasting into the man's stomach. The man wasn't ready for the concentrated attack, and he stumbled back, holding his stomach, doubling over as if winded.

"Yeah. Like that?" Julius taunted, shaking his hands as if it they on fire, thankful for the cold rain soothing the red skin. "Want some more?"

_"I don't want more…I want the whole thing!" _The man growled, his voice coming out of the headset built into the helmet sounding more like a robot's then anything else. Before Julius could do anything, the man was on top of him, two solid punches to the solar plexus followed by a kick to the head, launching the hacker off into the distance to rebound off one of the Arch's pillars and smash into the ground, making a ditch 

*          *            *

Rinoa watched the entire scene unfold before her, trying to keep her cool as she watched the first man standing a few yards away turn his head towards her, his features hidden by the impassive mask. It was obvious he was looking at her, and his body language suggested that he didn't know what he was seeing, the hand on his hip that had been casually place there at the start of the battle coming off slowly, the featureless face cocking slightly to the left in bewilderment.

She had just decided to give him a little taste of her power when she saw something happen behind the man. _Trish?! How did she get there so fast?!_ The man seemed to sense something too as his body language changed once more from bewilderment to confusion, the reflective head turning to look behind him…

It didn't matter anymore, as Trish suddenly leapt onto the man's back, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his chest, not letting go for anything. She searched desperately for what she was looking for as the man began to struggle, ripping at her legs and arms, trying to find purchase.

She finally found it, the release catch for the helmet, and pressed down hard, holding the pressure point down with all her strength. The man finally realised what she had been trying to do, and redoubled his efforts, finally grabbing her hand and ripping it up and off his neck, pulling her off him like a wet shirt and flinging her away – but not before the helmet went limp like a wet rag tossed over his head, and Trish grasped it desperately as she went flying through the air away from him. _"Now, Rinoa, now!!"_ She screamed as she pelted towards the Sorceress with all the speed of a bullet – before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Rinoa was surprised, sure – but if she was, she got over it real quick as she saw an opening. Flinging her hand out, the Thundara shot straight out of her fingertip, lacing through the rain-soaked atmosphere and frying the man's head, the electricity literally shearing the skull from the neck as if it was a blade of pure energy.

Pulling her smoking finger back, Rinoa blew it at the tip with practised bravado. "One down…" She whispered, looking down at Trish who lay at her feet panting, the Blue glow in her eyes fading away.

*          *            *

The rest of the Orihalcon crew seemed unhindered by their leader's death, and Squall's attacked didn't even register the event as he pushed Squall back more and more, Squall having to swing the energy blade with one hand to keep the Orihalcon sword from cutting him into Squall-cubes.

The event made an impact on Squall, however, and he managed to bring the advancement to another stalemate, the two swords booming once more as they clashed together, their edges beginning to spark once more as the stalemate upped the ante, the two men's muscles bulging in their suits as they pushed against each other more and more.

Squall's teeth were gritted in effort, and he began to growl with effort as he pushed back with all his might, forcing the man to step backwards – before Squall suddenly let off, the Orihalcon man stumbling forward erratically. Twisting with practice, Squall placed the tip of the LionHeart to the neck of the man – before pulling the trigger, the Pulse ammo slamming straight into the man's neck and sending him tumbling through the air, skidding across the floor – to roll to his feet, his sword still in his hands, his body heaving with deep breaths as the results of the attack left his body.

Squall stood calmly, his LionHeart held out before him – before he slowly drew it back, his feet spreading wide, his gloved hand travelling along the edge of the blade to hold the tip, his other hand holding it steady ion the rain. He was a sight to behold, cool, calm, collected.

The other man seemed to snort, shaking his head to the left – before running forward, his sword held low, slashing into the ground as his path headed straight towards Squall…

Everything slowed down. The man's sword was just coming up out of the ground as Squall skidded to the left, passing over his path and slashing the LionHeart across, the blue light from the blade travelling from where it had been shimmering calmly to where it was shimmering now – before everything sped back up, the Orihalcon over the man's head flying up with his head as the effects of the LionHeart caught up with physic, the man's neck suddenly blasting blood up into the air like a pump blasting water up into the sky.

The body tottered for a second, taking a few hesitant steps before falling to the ground. Squall stood where the attack had finished, the LionHeart's tip burning a small line into the ground where it had almost become stuck., his demeanour as calm as it had been had he been eating a hotdog. _Two down…_he thought to himself, allowing the water to sooth his soul.

*          *            *

Emily finally allowed the man she had been playing with to drop, his limp body falling to the ground like a piece of string, long and floppy. She walked over easily, her smile huge as she watched him flail on the ground slowly, trying to take his bearings as the memory of flat land finally came back to him.

"Not so tough…" She muttered as she held a hand out over his body, whispering a word of power as the small rocks around her suddenly levitated into the air…

…Before her palm erupted into fire, the Flare attack devastating anything within it's path, the Orihalcon clad man included. "Pathetic…" She spat – before the man Julius had been fighting smashed her across the head in a king-hit, sending her flying into the debris of disturbed earth her quarry had made when he had been digging ditches with his body. She was out cold almost instantly, only able to lift a hand in protest – before the hand fell flat.

The rain pounded the ground harder as the man stepped forward to deliver the finishing blow – before a boot smashed into his side, causing him to stumble away from Emily's limp body. Julius stamped his foot into the ground before her, blocking the Orihalcon man's path. "Oi!" Julius yelled over the sounds of the storm. "You're fight's with me!"

He was bleeding from the cut on his temple from when he had deflected the column with his face, but he set his arms by his sides and bared his teeth the ground beneath him suddenly blasting into a small circle as he upped his paramagical wattage – and smashed his fist into the Orihalcon's stomach, the man doubling over from the super-charged punch. Not stopping there, Julius grabbed the shiny head and pulled it down into a brutal knee to the face, before picking him up bodily and tossing him away, the man's metallic form disappearing behind a cleft of rocks.

Julius was breathing heavily, the amount of energy needed to deliver these kids of attacks taking too much to use. Gritting his teeth, he placed a step back, slamming his palms together and concentrating all his paramagical energy into the magic he was about to cast, the bright white light forming in his palms brilliant in the night's darkness.

He watched as the cleft of rocks from where he tossed the man was suddenly destroyed, the man's footsteps echoing over the clearing as he sped back towards Julius, Julius certain he could see anger in the man's reflective visor.

Julius bided his time until the man was basically on top of him – before flinging his hands out, the activation word screaming out of his mouth setting of the massive beam of magical energy.

"_Holy_!!"

Immediately the man's body was bathed in a bright white light that ate away at practically everything in it's path. Julius could swear he saw the Orihalcon bubbling – before the man's scream rang across the clearing, cut short as the Holy wave obliterated everything in it's path.

*          *            *

Now alone, the final man seemed to hesitate, not seeming to know what to do.

Squall and Rinoa walked over to each other, looking into each other's eyes before looking over at him. Julius joined them, Emily slung over his shoulder, his eyes filled with the same resolve as the rest of them. Trish walked over too, crossing her arms and smiling smugly. "What you gonna do now, bitch?" She called over the rain.

The man didn't hesitate again, taking his stance with his sword. Ready for anything, he wasn't ready for what happened next.

Zell rammed into him from behind, his eyes full of fury from behind taken out of the fight so early. Grasping him by his back plate, Zell lifted him up and over his body, before tossing him out into the horizon. The team took a collective step forward, before Zell waved his hand out. "No way! This dork is mine!!" He bellowed, before flaming in red fire – and disappearing after the man.

*          *            *

He had lost his blade, but that didn't mean he wasn't defenceless, and Zell watched as he took in his Hasted appearance and clenched his own fists, his own metal-clad body bursting into red fire as his speed was suddenly doubled.

The two fighters looked at each other for a second, gauging where the weak/strong points in each other would be – before simply disappearing from view, their bodies moving do fast the rain didn't even seem to fall on them. Loud metallic clangs rang out into the night as Orihalcon met Adamantine, and loud battle cries followed the echoes as pieces of Orihalcon suddenly appeared out of thin air, the pieces falling to the muddy ground like wet towels, the armour slipping off more and more as the attacks Zell launched made a lasting effect on the man's body.

They suddenly appeared, their hands locked together in a stalemate, a deadly battle of mercy being waged as the men stared down at each other, their growls and bellows reaching the others without any resistance from the rain. Zell looked t the man, his face bruise and red, his lip spit and bleeding. The armour on his head, chest and left arm had fallen away, and underneath he didn't look like anything different – he looked like a normal human being.

Suddenly stepping backward, Zell kicked his boots into the man's chest, launching him up into the air – where Zell let go a volley of Fires, the attacks making his body twitch and convulse as they hammered into his torso, the fallen armour not doing him any good now. Finally ready for the finishing blow, Zell lifted both hands into the air, palms out; fingers splayed – to blast great gouts of magic, the Firaga turning the man's body to ash.

Zell watched as the armoured pieces of his corpse fell from the sky, landing in the wet mud with nothing more then a loud 'splut' – the legs and right arm falling a few yards away from one another.

He let out a big sigh, and pulled off his Uber Ehrgiez gauntlets, feeling his knuckles underneath the powerful Adamantine give way with each tug with his teeth. Allowing the gauntlets to fall to the mud, he curled his damaged hand into fists, feeling the Cura work it's magic, feeling the knuckles return to their rightful places, feeling the numerous cuts and bruises melt into nothingness.

Standing upright, he looked over to see the rest of the group staring at him. He blinked, looking down at the gloves on the muddy ground, before picking them up and allowing the mud to pour out of the metal gauntlets. _Orders…give them orders…_

"Take any Orihalcon we can use for boots and gloves, and toss the rest into the Arch. We'll find someplace to hole up until the rain goes after that."

*          *            *

_Well? What did you think? Have I still got it, or have I still got it?_

_I'm not sure about Squall's sword battle – there will be more sword fights within this, and even thought Irvine won't make another appearance until the near end, there will be some major gun battles too._

_Did you spot the FFX tip-of-the-hat? If not, you're certain to see it later, as that's what these people call the Arch, as well as some other things!!_

_Well, I'm going to have a rest. I just got major sunburn today, and am feeling all hot and bothered from writing that fight.  I think I'll have a cool drink and a lie down…then I'll get right back onto Tournament 2! Remember, tell your friends to read!!_


	9. Meeting The Natives

Ch 9 – Meeting The Natives

Zell stood back, admiring his handiwork. Aside from the pouring rain and the relatively flat terrain, he had still been able to find a decent shelter spot big enough for the six of them, a small amount of large, oblong boulders that had been uprooted during the fight. Pulling out a Tent canvas, he had managed to attach it to the 'roof' of the little over-hang, cutting out most of the rain from the dry interior.

He turned to look at Julius, who had the unconscious Emily still slung over his shoulder. "She got hurt, Zell. I'll put her in here and make sure Rinoa takes a look at her after we're done looking for the Orihalcon."

"How's she doing?" Zell asked, moving to take the woman from Julius, holding her in his arms.

"She got clocked over the back of the head pretty bad, but I think she'll live."

Zell looked down at her, looking at her pale face as the rain beat down on them. She looked kind of peaceful the way she was, the usual scowl or deadpan expression on her face lost to a dreamy-slumber.

Turning around, he saw Trish walking past them, a hand-full of Orihalcon in her hands. She looked depressed, soaked to the bone, and cold. "Trish." Zell called, gathering her attention. "I'm gonna put Emily in the rest-area, and I need someone to look after her."

Trish shrugged, walking over to the SeeDs and shoving her armload of metal into Julius' hands. "Sure. It beats walking around in the rain."

Zell gestured for her to follow him, and they moved into the little makeshift rest area. The little over-hang was about the size of a small room, and apart from the roof being a little low, it was a lot cosier then outside in the rain. Zell had even dug out a small fire-pit in the middle of the room, and after he placed Emily down on the dry rocks, he pointed a finger at the pit. The small collection of twigs and brush Zell had quickly gathered burst into life, the fire warming the room almost immediately.

He walked over to where he had placed all the packs and after finding Trish and Emily's ones, picked them up and placed them next to Trish, who had sat down next to Emily quietly. "She's soaked through. Hell, you're both soaked through. Change her and your clothes and we'll dry them next to the fire."

Trish looked at Emily, seeing the tattered condition of her shirt and pants, before frowning up at Zell. "What, you want me to strip her naked?"

Zell shrugged. "If you have to, unless you can wake her up, which I don't think you will. She's probably got concussion or something anyways, so I'd advise against it." He saw her disturbed look on her face and frowned. "Well, unless you want her to get pneumonia and die, you'd better get cracking! She can't stay in those clothes otherwise she might catch cold, and I need everybody in top physical condition."

"Well…okay…if I need to…" Trish murmured, looking down at the sleeping Emily once more…before looking up at Zell angrily. "Well? Are you gonna stay and watch, huh?"

Zell had been thinking of what to do next, and Trish's tone pulled him from his musing, making him roll his eyes as he looked down at her. "No…I'm going to go outside and talk to the rest of the team. I'll send Rinoa in shortly and get her to change too. The guys will have to change their clothes later." And with that, he was out into the cold rainy night, the tent-flap closing the biting cold out behind him.

*          *            *

Trish looked down at the unconscious Emily with muted contempt, before pulling off her own shirt, tossing it over to the area where the fire was burning. "…Supposed to be elite…" She muttered at the unconscious SeeD, pulling off her sneakers and socks and tossing them over to the fire too. "…Supposed to be able to protect yourself…" She grumbled, pulling off her black tracksuit pants too, sending them to the same place where the last articles of clothing ended up.

Now in panties and sports bra, she paused for a second, remembering what Zell had said. Looking down at Emily, whose face was beginning to turn a little blue, she opened up her bun in her hair, allowing it to run loose as she thought of what she should do. Pausing once more, she shot a look at the tent flap, before sighing audibly. "Dammit…"

She put off putting any clothes on for the moment, deciding that Emily should be dealt with first before Trish should worry about herself.

Scooting closer, she undid the clasps for the SeeD boots that she wore, pulling them off slowly and tossing them over to the small pile accumulating near the fire. She then pulled Emily's socks off, tossing them over to the pile of clothing too.

When she turned back, however, she saw something that caught her eye, and picked up Emily's foot to have a closer look. A small tattoo on the ankle of her left foot, depicting a knife stabbing through a heart. It looked like it had been a usual love-heart, with a person's name on it – but somebody had tattooed over the name with the knife, erasing the name forever with the inked blood.

She looked up at Emily, smiling smugly. "Boyfriend, huh?" She muttered, placing the foot down. "Yeah, I know how you feel…"

She reached up and began to unbutton Emily's tattered shirt, taking her time with the buttons. "I've had my fair share of cock-ups…no pun intended, huh? But I don't think anybody made that much of an impression on me…girl or guy…you know, to permanently mark myself…"

She finally pulled open Emily's shirt, revealing her bare chest. It shocked Trish slightly for several reasons – one being that she hadn't been expecting it, another being that the scarring on her body was tremendous, another being that, despite the scarring, she liked what she saw.

The scars travelled around the breasts, seemingly from fights and battles. The amount and consistency seemed to vary in different areas – her dark nipples had long white scars travelling over them, the area just below the curve of her breast seemingly burned by something. Trish found herself tracing a finger over one of the scars, the jagged white edge rough to the touch. It travelled around the bottom of the curve, coming up to end just at the middle of the sternum. "You poor thing…" Trish whispered…

The flap of the covering suddenly opened, and Trish jumped and twisted her body to cover herself and Emily. "Hey! Stop! Go away!!"

"Don't worry, it's only me."

Trish turned her head slightly to see Rinoa walk into the over-hang, shaking her hair to rid itself of excess water. The rain made her clothes cling to her, and Trish could see the goose bumps on her flesh as she moved over to the fire. "Hyne, it's cold out there, huh? I hope I don't get a cold…I hate colds…" She held her hands out to the flames, allowing the warmth to let the blood run through the frozen digits once more, before reaching up and pulling off her blue cardigan. "How's she doing?"

Trish blinked – before looking down at Emily once more. "She's…she's still out cold."

"We'll, you'd better finish off and cover up her up, before the two of you catch cold."

"Uh…yeah."

Trish quickly scrunched up Emily's shirt and tossed it over to the small pile that had accumulated near the fire then unbuttoned Emily's pants, pulling them off with little resistance. She was surprised to see that Emily wore underwear – she would have figured since she wasn't wearing a bra…

"She looks so peaceful asleep, huh?" Rinoa said, moving over and sitting down next to Trish. She had removed her clothes and had wrapped a blanket around her body. Trish could see a black bra peeking from within the folds, and decided to look away.

"Yeah…a lot better then when she's asleep, huh…" Trish muttered sarcastically, a hint of sadness in her voice.

Rinoa reached out to touch Emily's belly, frowning as she traced a small scar with her fingertip. "Amazing how many scars she has…"

"…Why?"

Rinoa saw Trish's questioning stare and smiled. "'The life of a SeeD', as Squall would say. Cure magic can heal internal wounds, can even heal small scars – but major ones, like these, can't be healed. Some say it's because your soul carries the scars, and the magic can only heal what the soul can heal."

"…Sounds like you know a lot about it…"

"Well, being a Sorceress I have an unlimited amount of magic at my disposal. Everybody else has to draw it, but mine never runs out. That's why I also work as a medic in Garden."

Trish nodded, looking at the raven-haired woman with curiosity in her eyes. It was amazing that Trish, a thief by trade, would be sitting next to the current Sorceress in an alternate universe with a semi-naked woman before them. "So…" Trish said, crawling over to Emily's and her packs and pulling out some blankets. "…What's it like being with the rock man out there?"

Rinoa smirked as she watched Trish place the blanket over Emily and wrap her own around her. "Believe it ort not, he's quite a nice person. It's just that…he grew up believing that nobody could help him. I think he's coming out of shell, though…usually he doesn't even say a word to people, now he can hold actual conversations for short amounts of time…" She giggled. "And don't get me started on how he's like in bed…"

*          *            *

The guys outside had finally tossed the last remnants of Orihalcon through the Arch, watching as the metal created ripples through the blue-ish wall of energy, the ripples seeming to rebound endlessly. Amazingly, the rain didn't pass through the arch for some odd reason, and Zell put his finger into it once more.

He pulled it back out quickly. "Now it's cold…" he muttered.

"Must be the rain." Squall muttered, seeming to not recognise the rain dripping off his drenched brown hair. "Lets get back to the shelter."

"No, wait…" Zell muttered, grabbing Squall's shoulder as he made to walk past him. "We need to talk. And I'd rather the girls not hear what we have to say…" He looked over at Julius, who shrugged.

"Lead the way, Zell."

Looking around for a second, Zell spotted a smaller overhang just a few meters from the Arch. He remembered considering using it for a shelter, before Rinoa had complained that it would have been too small for six people. The three SeeDs moved over to the rock, relieved to be out of the rain, at least for a short time. Zell slammed his foot into the ground and twisted it around, creating a small fire-pit like the one he had made in shelter, and cast a small Fire into it.

Squall crouched down onto his haunches, pulling his gloves off his hands and stuffing them into a pocket before holding his hands out to the flames. "Right. Talk." He muttered, looking irritated, his voice gesturing so. He'd like to get back to Rinoa as soon as possible – if that's alright with you, Zell.

Zell got the point that he didn't want to be out here any longer, so he started. "Guys…about Garden…you know, the fire, the rooms…"

"What about it?" Julius asked, sitting back on his butt with relief. "You think somebody's tried to keep this mission from going forth?"

Zell raised his eyebrows and bit his bottom lip, crouching down next to the fire too. "It's been concerning me, if that's what you mean." He sighed, his voice sad.

"Why?" Squall muttered. "Why would somebody want us to not come through the Arch? If they really didn't want us to come through, why didn't they just attack us when we came through, when we were weak?"

"I think they did…or at least tried." Zell said, looking up at his scarred friend. "Maybe they underestimated our power compared to the SeeDs that came through before, and thought we'd be a pushover."

Julius shrugged. "It's not that, either. Our rooms weren't just ransacked – they were searched. Methodically. And I think the Security room was fire-bombed to erase the evidence of any entry into our rooms." He lay back, pulling his glasses from his face and looking at them with a frown. They had gotten cracked during the fight, and he snorted, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "A spy or something?"

Squall shook his head. "No. A mission of that calibre would need somebody with in-depth knowledge of Balamb Garden, information on our room locations, plus security access to the Security room."

Zell shrugged. "Or maybe not. Remember, Squall, our Garden was almost completely empty cause of the war games. Anybody could have waltzed right in and had a poke around."

The three men were silent for a second, each deep in his own thoughts. The idea of a mole was kinda scary to Zell, but it wasn't a surprise. _Think of what we might find in this universe, or any others we might have to pass through!_ He found himself thinking. _That's a good enough reason to make sure that whatever we find doesn't come back._

"Zell…" Julius said slowly. "…Why didn't you want the girls to hear this? Are you afraid they might freak or something?"

Squall shook his head slowly. "They'd be able to handle it. The question is, why don't you trust them?"

Zell shrugged and sighed. "They were basically at each other's throats the other day. I was afraid that they might not trust each other if we begin to fill their heads with ideas of moles and spies and things like that…"

Squall chuckled, before pushing himself to his feet, pulling his gloves on in the process.

Zell blinked at him. "What? If it gets a laugh out of you it's gotta be funny."

Squall stopped just under the edge of the over-hang. "You don't get it, Zell. In order to gather the trust of your teammates, you have to show that you trust them first. You ought to know that. You should have talked to us as a team – not just to the guys. The girls can hold their own, just as well as we can." 

Zell looked down at the fire. "But…Emily…"

"A mistake that she'll learn by." Squall said harshly. "You have to stop trying to protect everybody sometimes, Zell – otherwise you'll get yourself hurt." He then stepped out into the pouring rain, pulling the rim of his jacket up and shoving his hands in his pockets as his body became nothing more then a silhouette in the rain.

His words hit Zell hard, and Zell lowered his head to look at his hands, looking at the shining metal covering them. He felt the pat on the shoulder that Julius gave him, but didn't acknowledge it as the hacker waked out of the little cave, leaving Zell alone with the fire and his thoughts.

*          *            *

Squall moved over to the flap of the tent, pausing for a second before knocking it with his hand. Two of the girls had been talking, but they became quiet as Squall waited, the rain pouring down around and on him. "Who is it?" One of the girls finally called out, their voice muffled by the sounds of the rain slapping into the muddy ground.

"It's Squall. We're coming in now, okay?"

"Okay." Was the reply.

Squall then ducked into the tent, quickly pulling off his coat and flicking it to rid it of its over-load of water. He nodded politely to Trish and Rinoa, who were sitting beside each other next to the fire beside the still asleep Emily, and moved over to where his pack was, pulling off his shirt as he walked.

He pulled out his blanket from his pack and spread it on the ground before lying down on it, not bothering to take off his pants or boots.

He narrowed his eyes as he looked up at the roof of the small makeshift shelter. The rock was smooth, like it was just one giant pebble washed up on a beach, and Squall could see tiny lines mingling with the red rock. His mind was awash with thought as he replayed the conversation he had just had with Julius and Zell. _Was it right, what I just said?_ He thought to himself. _I mean, that's what I've been practising. Why would it be any different with Zell? He's had the same leadership training, and he's never had any problems leading his missions before…he's just too hard on himself._

He rolled onto his side, watching as the shadows from the fire-pit played on the tent-wall, the tent rolling and buckling under the pressure of the wind and the rain. _Is he unsure of himself? Possibly…he's never been good at taking criticism of any kind…and he criticises himself the most, even more then I do to myself. He's surprisingly sensitive...it's been a while since I've seen him have to think this hard…apart from when he was in the Tournament…_ He frowned more then usual as something dawned on him. _He took everything in stride that time…he kept his head, played it cool…all for me and Laguna. I don't think I've ever really thanked him for that…would I be able to?_

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and rolled over to see Rinoa looking down at him. "What's wrong, Squall?" She asked, lying next to him and covering the both of them with her blanket.

He said nothing for a few seconds, before sighing. "Nothing, Rinoa. I'm just worried about Zell." He whispered.

"Why?" Rinoa asked, concern in her voice as she lowered it so Trish couldn't hear it either.

"He places too much responsibility in himself…he needs to stop worrying and take heed of what's going on around him…"

"Sounds like somebody I know..." Rinoa said with a smile, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "It's good that you worry, but I'm sure Zell will be able to do what's right."

"I know…" Squall mumbled, taking her in his arms and holding her close.

*          *            *

Trish watched as the two cuddled close together, and tried to remember the last time she had been held with love.

Thirteen years ago…when your mother hugged you one last time before handing you over to the Thieves Guild. A small voice whispered in her mind.

She sighed audibly – before putting a hand over her mouth. After making sure that the couple hadn't heard her, she looked down at Emily, who was lying still as she had been since Rinoa had checked her to see if she was all right.

_"She'll be fine."_ Rinoa said. _"We'll wait until she wakes up, then we'll see how far the damage has gone."_

_How long has it been since somebody held you close, hmmm? _Trish thought as she looked down at the Goth. _I'd bet not a long time. I'll bet the last time was when you did that tattoo, huh?_ She sighed again, less audibly, and patted Emily's long dark hair. _I'll bet you could find somebody else if you cared…_

The tent flap was pulled aside, and Julius and Zell walked in, each man looking equally miserable and wet. Julius made a beeline for his pack gratefully – but Zell lingered first, moving over to the sleeping Emily.

He crouched next to her, looking down at her with a look that Trish couldn't identify. "What's wrong?" She whispered, scooting over a little to sit next to Emily, looking up at Zell.

Zell's unidentifiable look in his eyes turned to her, and she cringed inwardly – before he shrugged and turned around. "Nothing." He muttered, moving to his pack.

*          *            *

Trish pulled the blanket wrapped around her a little tighter, trying not to think about the look Zell had given her.

The others had all fallen asleep long ago, Trish accustomed with the human sleep patterns and it's signs. Rhythmic breathing cut through the silence, as the rain had finally stopped its brutal objection to their rude intervention into it's world. The only other thing that broke the silence was the crackling of the Fire, the flame dwindling as the magic grew smaller and smaller, the shadows surrounding Trish becoming bigger and bigger in the flickering light.

The look…she had finally figured out what it might have been. A look of…disappointment? And sadness. Seemingly infinite sadness. As if Zell had been expecting to be looking down at an unconscious Trish, and not a fully trained, high-level SeeD.

_He's having second thoughts of this mission…_ she thought to herself, shifting slightly in her position. _…Which is understandable. You'd have to be either really sure of yourself or completely stupid to volunteer to lead a group of strangers into a situation like this…_

Somebody cried out in their sleep suddenly, making Trish jump. Abruptly sitting up and looking over the sleeping forms, she tried to find who it was.

Squall and Rinoa slept near the entrance of the tent, snuggled closely in each other's arms. The only sound from them was gentle breathing.

Emily continued to lie where she had been placed, her blanket wrapped as snugly as Trish had tried to make it. She made no sound or movement.

Julius had retreated to a corner of the room, positioned so that he slept as close as possible to the frozen form of his girlfriend. It amazed her how he could withstand the frozen temperature of the ice, his arm lazily draped over the swag.

The cry was made again.

It was Zell. He had retreated as far from the group as possible when they had all decided to go to sleep, not contributing to the small talk that had been made as Julius had pondered where to place Veronica. He lay now, facing the wall, curled into the foetal position, not seeming to move. His voice, however, whispered pathetically, ending in a sad mewl.

"…Can't…"

Trish lowered herself down once more, resting her head on her hands as she looked at Zell. He cried out once more, and she rolled over, shutting out his voice, squeezing her eyes shut.

_Everybody needs to do what they have to do…_ she thought to herself as she forced sleep to come, the last licks of Fire finally snuffing out with a quiet 'pff'.

*          *            *

The morning seemed to come quickly, the team awakening to a strange sound.

It was introduced by the pitter-patter of feet, was hinted at by the smattering of whispers – before the sound was made.

The simultaneous cocking of several rifles.

Zell was the first up, his body shooting up in his position to look around. "Where – what – oh…" He said, placing a hand to his head as he realised where he was, before looking up. "What the hell was that?"

Trish watched him as he threw his blanket off his body, seeing that his shorts were a bright blue as he made for his pack. "Nice shorts…" She murmured as he passed her.

He shot a look at her as he pulled on some loose cargo pants – before smirking. "Nice panties."

She looked down to see that she had kicked the blanket off her legs in her sleep, and drew it across them once more, her face burning crimson as Zell walked up to Squall and Rinoa. He kicked out with a foot, hitting something that yelped. "Come on. I think we got company."

Rinoa stuck her head out of the lump, scratching her head as she looked up at him angrily. "Hyne, Zell, come back in an hour with some bacon and Cockatrice eggs, huh?"

Zell rolled his eyes. "Not you, Squall."

The scarred gunblade-specialist was already sitting up as Zell threw open the tent's flap – to reveal ten armed men situated around the shelter, rifles in hand, pointed directly at Zell.

*          *            *

Zell's blood ran cold as he saw the men, the events of last night flooding into his mind. _No…wait…these guys aren't wearing Orihalcon…are they somebody else?_

He raised his hands slowly, smiling warmly. "Uh…hey fellas. Good morning?"

"Quiet!!" A man yelled, moving forward and jabbing the barrel of his rifle into Zell's scarred chest.

Zell chose to keep his mouth shut. After all, this was his first attempt at contact with a race from a different Universe – and first impression had seemingly been shot to hell. As would he be if he didn't think fast.

The man regarded him with something akin of fear and revulsion. They were dressed simply in long thread pants and coats, some kinds of design patterns sewn into the shoulders and hems. _Label clothing?_ Zell thought, looking over the men as they looked over him. _Are these guys out…hunting or something?_

One man shifted slightly over to the man who had jabbed Zell and drew him back, whispering as he went. "…has to be one of them, look at the scars, they've only got them scars…"

The first man hissed menacingly, knocking the second man aside as he beared his teeth, suddenly drawing his rifle up to his shoulder, taking aim at Zell's head. The shot went high, however, Zell moving like grease lightening as slapped the rifle's barrel up high, the bullet flying harmlessly into the air – before the gun was ripped from the man's hands, a powerful force pushing him down to the ground to splat into the mud.

The rest of the men took a step back fearfully as Zell looked up at them, the rifle in his grasp – before he grabbed it with both hands and snapped it in half with no visible effort, the metal bending easily, the wooden stock shattering spectacularly.

The rest of the men tossed their weapons to the ground immediately, throwing themselves to their knees and bowing low, as if to worship Zell.

He blinked, surprised at their reaction. He had expected them to shit themselves and run away – instead they began to beg not to destroy them or take them through the 'Tidus'. He dropped the broken rifle into the mud and stepped forward, lifting the man he had pushed down up to his feet. "Hey, hey, we don't mean you guys any harm come on, get up."

Squall and Julius both jumped out of the tent, the LionHeart shimmering menacingly as Squall surveyed the scene, Julius' hands in white-knuckled balls as he assumed an aggressive stance. Zell held his hand out, gesturing for them to relax. "Lower it, guys…they're no harm." He said quietly as he watched the rest of the people stand sullenly, examining their shoes as if they were terribly interesting. The man who had attacked Zell had also lost his gusto, but looked up as Zell offered his hand. "Me handles Zell, dude. What's yours?"

The man looked down at the hand, before looking up at Zell, before looking at the hand again.

Zell lowered the hand – before raising it again to slap it into his face. _Even in alternate universes nobody'll shake my hand, dammit…_ "Okay, let's start again." He said, deciding to take it slow. "My name is Zell Dincht. The guy with the scar and the glowing sword thingy is Squall, and my blond bespectacled friend is Julius. You are…?" He gestured with his hands for the man to continue the introductions.

The man's eyes were shifting from the ground to Zell's face, looking more and more agitated as he spoke. "My name is Ten'Kal. The man who tried to stop me is Ten'Jar, my brother. We were taking our friends out hunting near the Tidus when we saw your tent. We meant nothing by our aggravating manner, sir. We'll gracefully receive any punishment you wish to bestow upon us if you wish…"

Zell stopped him, placing his hand on Ten'Kal's shoulder. "Hey man, what part of 'we don't mean you any harm' didn't you understand?"

Ten'Kal looked at Zell now, obvious confusion in his eyes. "You…you came through the Tidus, yes? Through that?" He said, waving his hand at the Arch.

Zell nodded slowly. "Yeah…"

"Nothing good comes from the Tidus." Ten'Kal said sadly, looking at the SeeDs with wide eyes. "The Heart Warriors come from the Tidus. We thought you were they."

"Heart Warriors…you mean the guys dressed in Orihalcon? The shiny armour?" Squall said, stepping forward, the LionHeart flickering off with the push of a button. Seeing the man nod, Squall looked at Zell. "Zell, you know what this means?"

Zell nodded slowly. "Yeah…those guys aren't from this universe. They're from another one…" He looked over at the Arch, furrowing his brow. "…Another Universe."

*          *            *

After packing up their things, the SeeDs followed Ten'Kal and Ten'Jar to their town, talking about thing as they went. Now the sun was up – sorry, now the _suns_ were up – the heat was beginning to become unbearable to the SeeDs, and they were dressed for summer as it was. The universal natives, who called their race the Te'Gets, seemed unfazed by the burning heat of the three suns.

The only people who seemed remotely unconcerned of the heat was Zell and Squall, the rest seeming to sweat right down to their very core. The rest seemed to drip perspiration – even a groggy Emily, who had woken to find herself stripped almost completely naked with a large bump on the back of her head. She made no effort to find out who it had been who had helped her, however – simply casting a Cure magic to dull the pain and dressing quickly. Rinoa quickly checked her over, before announcing that she was, more or less, fine – but it would be best to see a real doctor when they get to Ten'Kal's town.

As they walked Ten'Kal and the rest of the team began to loosen up a little more, happy to divulge any information about their planet and their little corner of the world. As they talked the rocky ground around them began to disappear gradually, the tiny shrubs and little weeds giving way to grass and trees, until their were finally walking through entire fields of flowers and leafy bushes, ripe with berries and fruit. The sky seemed to glow with the flora around them, Rinoa and Trish drinking the nature in with happiness, running forward to pass through the field and inspect the variety of flowers.

Zell looked out at them as they suddenly ducked under the flower-line. "Uh…what kind of animals do you have around here?"

Ten'Jar smiled happily. "One good thing we can say about our oppressors – they keep the monster levels low."

According to Ten'Kal, they called their planet Terra, as opposed to Gaia. As Julius had said, they were situated on the lower part of an enormous continent about twice the size of Esthar. Several other races were dotted here and there around the planet, and open trade points were made with all of them. It seemed that the 'Tens' were one of the lesser races – but that didn't mean they were unadvanced. "We've got cars, radios, telnars, chronometers – everything is a little older, since our scientists are a bit behind in their research."

Squall cocked his head to the side, pulling his eyes from the area that Rinoa and Trish had disappeared to and looking at the villager. "Why's that?"

Ten'Jar spoke up. "The Heart Warriors took all our best researchers a good year ago to work in their own labs through the Tidus."

"Tell us about these 'Heart Warriors'." Zell asked, narrowing his eyes.

Ten'Kal looked down at his feet, the fear evident in his voice. "They're ruthless. They came through the Tidus about a year ago, demanding that we give up and surrender to their Sorceress Queen. We had heard stories of Sorceresses – but we've only got folk-tales and myths. The last Sorceress died decades ago. They are immensely strong, and even our most powerful weapons and fighters were no match compared to them. We had no choice but to bend to their will."

"So what do they do here?" Rinoa asked, suddenly appearing behind the group with an armful of flowers. Walking forward, she presented one to every person, before tucking one into Squall's hair, just in the crook of his ear. Zell tried not to giggle as Squall's face turned bright red and smiled uncertainly.

Ten'Jar shrugged. "We're an 'off-world base'. They use us as a resource dump, and take all our food and shelter. We've been forced out of our homes many times to accommodate their soldiers as they took control of the planet. Now they've got bases all over Terra."

Rinoa stamped the ground as they walked, angry at their submissiveness. "Why didn't you fight back?!"

The villagers were surprised at her sudden mood swing. "We tried!!" Ten'Jar cried. "But they're too strong. And anybody to tries to organise a rebellion is executed out immediately. They have spies everywhere."

Zell narrowed his eyes. _More about spies…the Heart Army must be very clever in their intelligence gathering_. "We know all about that…so tell me, where do they come from?"

Ten'Kal shrugged the comment off and sighed. "We have no idea. They came through the Tidus, they are indestructible, and they worship a Sorceress Queen – that's all we know."

"Well, first off, they aren't indestructible." Zell said, holding up his hand which had the Uber-Ehrgiez Gauntlet strapped on it with it's covering of Orihalcon over that. "This was taken from a Heart Warrior. Our packs are made of the same stuff too."

Ten'Kal and Ten'Jar looked at the metal with inherent amazement. "My god…" Ten'Kar said, looking at the reflective surface. "…You must be very skilled in order to attain the tooth from the beast mouth while it's snarling at you."

Zell puffed his chest out in pride. "Oh yeah! We're good at kicking the crap outta stuff!"

Ten'Kar laughed out loud – before sighing again, his good humour smothered effortlessly. "But even with your obvious skill you wont be able to defeat the Heart Warriors that occupy our village right now. And even if you did, I doubt you'd be able to keep it unoccupied for very long."

Zell stopped his braying and looked down at Ten'Kar. "What do you mean, man? Why are you taking us to your village, then?"

Ten'Kar shrugged. "To tell the truth, I don't know. I know that you're advanced enough to find it eventually – better you be invited then to stumble in unexpectedly. We'll hide you away until the group occupying our village moves on – then we'll see what we can do for you. Maybe one of the other villages will have something that will give you a lead."

"We could try capturing a Heart for interrogation." Julius muttered, hefting the back on his back, eyeing it as the swag became a little wetter thanks to the melting ice. Veronica wasn't faring very well in the heat. "Who else would know anything about the 'Tidus'?"

"Good point." Zell said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully…before turning to Ten'Kar. "What kind of bathing ethics you guys got here?"

"B-bathing ethics? What do you mean?" Ten'Jar stammered, obviously confused.

"Well, in our world we have a race of highly advanced people called Estharians. They have communal baths. What I mean to say is, I think I have a plan to take a soldier without having to get him out of his Orihalcon first…"

Trish rolled her eyes. "Trust you to have an idea like that, Zell. You're such a pervert."

"Hey, you got any better ideas? No? Good. Then lets get to Ten'Kar's village, settle down, and figure out a battle-plan…"

Unseen by the group, one of the younger men peeled off from the party, disappearing into the bushes as they began to near the village, the smell of breakfast assailing the universal traveller's senses easily.

*          *            *

"Uh…are you sure this stuff is alright for us to eat?" Zell muttered to Julius as he accepted another plate of the indescribable mush.

Julius rolled his eyes and spoke to Zell with annoyance in his voice. "I ran everything through my scanners, dammit. It's fine. It just looks…weird. That's all."

"No shit." Zell muttered, looking back down at his bowl. "It looks like somebody puked into the bowl and added purple dye."

Squall reached over and slapped Zell on the back of the head. "Hey! Where are your manners? You're insulting them."

Zell looked down at his bowl in embarrassment. The food, though looking like something you would think was regurgitated from a Catchepillar, smelled delicious and was surprisingly good. The fist-fighter had a thing about the appearance of his food. _Maybe if I put it in my bread, or something…_ he thought to himself, reaching down and picking up what looked to him was a bun. Digging his fingers into it, he was greeted by a slurping noise, and watched as yellow gunk oozed out of the wounds he had just inflicted. _Dammit…_

"Why are you doing that to your Turling fruit?" Ten'Kal said, looking up from his bowl.

"Sorry…" Zell said with a smile, placing the 'fruit' down next to his bowl and wiping his fingers on his shorts. "I thought it was bread." The confused look on Ten'Kal's face said it all, and as the villager opened his mouth to question, Zell raised his hand. "Never mind, I'll tell you later."

"You universe must be very strange indeed…whoever has heard of 'bread'? Huh…" Ten'Kal said with a snort, before returning to scooping the purple stuff into his mouth.

The entrance into the village was surprisingly quiet. It looked much like Winhill, the cosiness that a small, close community could only emit radiating out to the team as they passed under the sign announcing the name of the village – Te'Get Ternal. The villagers nodded their greetings to the team as they passed by, seemingly oblivious to their strange clothing or travel equipment. Ten'Kal had taken them to his home as quickly as subtly could allow, and asked them to be seated as he asked his wife to prepare breakfast for their guests.

"I'm sorry about the food, " Te'Kal said as she placed another large bowl of…stuff onto the dining table. " but we have to give all our decent food to the Heart Warriors. They all have quite an appetite."

Now seated in the villager's home, Zell was beginning to get a feel for the universe's character. The home was a decent yet small one, the eight people sitting in the dining room filling it up completely. There were knick-knacks strewn all over the place – pictures, ornaments, tiny stuffed monsters – and Zell finally realised just how old Ten'Kal was.

Not only that, but there were things about the culture that Zell was picking up too. The 'Ten' before their names was pretty obvious – it was the race's founding name. Also, the female's names for the race dropped the 'n' in Ten. Zell couldn't figure out why.

Also, when Ten'Kal and Ten'Jar had parted ways, they had performed a strange ritual. Standing close to each other, they placed their hands on the other's shoulders, before touching foreheads gently. This strange head-butt must've been a way to say hello or goodbye, Zell figured – much like the shaking of the hands in their universe. _Which was why he looked so confused when I held out my hand…_ Zell thought to himself. _There are many different nuances to this culture that we'll have to be careful about – but it all seems pretty close to our own. We both speak Gaian, at least the majority of the time, and we both have the same basic living and clothing habits._

"Thinking, Hunter?" Emily asked quietly, reaching over for a 'Turling' fruit. "How uncharacteristic of you."

Zell smiled a little smile. "_Some_body has to do it. It's best you don't, though. That bump on your head might just put too much pressure on your brain."

Emily bit into the fruit angrily, deciding to quell a retort for now. It had been a major blow to her that she had been the only one severely injured during the fight, and the throbbing pain of the lump only reminded her of the fact – she had been _weak_, weaker then the newbie Trish, weaker then the gunblader – the weakest.

Zell watched as she returned to her own little world and tried to fight his smirk as he bit into his own fruit. _Not so great when you're on the receiving end, huh?_

Trish watched this little exchange and looked down at her bowl of goop, scooping up some more and sipping it slowly. It was served hot, thankfully, and was simmering much like the angers that were within Zell and Emily. She had known of their fight in the tournament, and had heard rumours that she had been the reason why Zell had been out of public sight for the duration of the Tournament's enquiries – but that was all she knew. She knew nothing about what kind of relationship they had, and every chance she tried to glean information out of them always resulted in both of them moving into moody silence.

"Well…" Squall said, finishing his bowl and pushing it away. "Now what? We can't stay here forever. We have to figure out how these warriors got here and what they want with these people."

Trish burped and took a sip of her glass of green liquid. "Do we really have to? Why don't we just find out how they got here, go through it, kill this Sorceress chick and go back home!"

Zell rolled his eyes. "It's not as simple as that, Trish. The more we know about the enemy, the less surprised we'll be when the shit hits the fan."

Trish looked down at her plate, stirring the food absently. "I know…" she said quietly. "…But we shouldn't really worry that much, right? I mean, we did pretty well against the tools at the Tidus, right? What do we have to fear?"

Squall shook his head, before turning to Ten'Kal. "Sir, do you have any idea of how many of these soldiers there are in these patrols?"

"Around fifty…I think. Why?"

"Nothing." Squall said, looking at Trish as she looked down at her plate once more. "Just proving a point."

There was a sudden bang on the door, and Te'Kal jumped to her feet. "Oh god! They're here!!"

Everybody was on their feet in an instant, looking around them. "What? Why would they be here?" Trish yelped – before Emily slammed a hand around her mouth, muffling her voice as she pulled her close, forcing her to be silent.

"Walking into the village in play daylight must've made more of an impression then we thought, honey…" She whispered into the thief's ear. "Keep quiet – or I'll make you keep quiet."

Ten'Kal quickly ran around the table, blocking off the entrance to the dining room. He was wringing his hands nervously. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't think when we were coming in…I-I'll try to ward them off. You must hide!!"

Zell stepped forward. "We can't just hide, Ten'Kal. We're warriors. We'll handle them."

"If they find you here, they'll kill everybody involved!! Please, you must hide!" Quickly running into the hallway, Ten'Kal threw open a door, revealing a passageway down. "Quickly! Into the basement!"

Zell decided not to argue with the man, turning and gesturing for his team to go down the stairs. As they made their way down he turned to Ten'Kal and placed his hand on the man's shoulder. "You're taking an awfully big risk for us, man. Why?"

"You seem like kind souls. I think you would help us if you were given the chance – so I'm returning the favour first."

Zell shook his head and smiled. "Thanks." He said, before running down the stairs, the door shutting behind him with a bang and the click of a lock.

*          *            *

The basement was one filed with junk, much like most Galbadian basements. Bicycles stood near the stairs up, and a small bench was on one of the walls to the south of the entrance. A small door was situated next to the bench, turning out to be a larder. Boxes and items were piled all over the place, filling up the space easily. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Trish found a light-switch, flipping it to bath the basement in light from numerous bulbs situated strategically across the roof. "Hyne, what a pack-rat…" she muttered as she cast her eye over the room.

Amazingly the room was about the same size as the whole house – making it the largest room in the house. In between the piles of boxes and sheet-covered items was the occasional wooden pillar.

Julius walked amongst the piles of junk, lifting a sheet here and there. "It seems our friend Ten'Kal is something of an archaeologist. Look at all these little statues and slabs."

Emily stepped forward, looking at the nearest artefact and picking it up to examine in her hands. "What junk." She muttered, placing the tiny statue of a woman with wings down next to a man with four arms. "Archaeology is so boring."

Julius seemed interested, however, and began to sift through the piles of stuff, coming up with more and more items of interest. "Fascinating…" He said, turning a small plaque over and over in his hands.

"Why the hell would you find this interesting?" Emily muttered, looking down at the blond hacker as he placed the slab down and traced his hand over a large marble stone.

"I'm not just a hacker, you know. I'm also a scientist." Julius said, looking over the artefacts. "I've studied many theories and possible avenues in my quest…a lot of the old magic was rather powerful…in it's time, anyways."

Rinoa and Squall leaned against a wall, next to the stairs up. Rinoa was in Squall's arms, looking down at the small statue of the winged woman. "Don't you think it's weird that most of this stuff has something to do with my Angel power? I mean, look at those pictures. They all have winged creatures in them. And I'd say that the majority of the statues all show women with feathered wings."

Julius paused, before looking over the room once more. "You're right. Interesting…"

"Guys…" Trish said quietly, looking at something hidden under a sheet. "Check this out. It's an Arch. Just like the one we came through…"

Everybody dropped what they were doing and moved to where Trish was standing, Zell ripping the sheet off of the Arch for a better look.

The Arch was made seemingly like the gigantic one that they had come to this world in – same insignias, same colour rock, same everything – except for the size, of course. This Arch was about the size of a normal door.

"Shit. Could this be the way that the Heart Warriors have been getting into this world?" Emily spat, looking up the stairs. "I think we've been fucked."

"No."

Everybody turned to Rinoa, who walked forward, reaching out with a trembling hand and laying it on the cold stone. "This…this Arch hasn't been used in a long, long time…"

The silence in the room was tangible as Rinoa continued to trace her hand over the insignias on the rock, and Julius stepped forward. "And just how do you know that, exactly?" He asked.

"…I don't."

Squall was looking around the room, however, the only one uninterested at this surprising turn of events. He was remembering something – before cursing. "Oh shit."

"What?" Trish asked.

"Our packs. We left our packs upstairs."

It was all happening then. One second, the acknowledgement of their monumental screw-up was chilling them to the bone – the next, the door to the basement blew open, the wood smashing in to reveal several Heart Warriors, their metallic bodies gleaming as they ran down the stairs.

"Fuck!!" Zell yelled as the first Heart came at him. "We've been made!!"

*          *            *

Expecting a fight scene now? Well stiff, you'll just have to wait until the next chapter!! Haha!!

_I've been watching the Matrix a lot lately, as well as several other martial arts movies – you know, research purposes – and I've realised that a true martial artist must take his/her surroundings into consideration when in a fight, utilising anything to his/her disposal in order to defeat an opponent._

_That's why, in some future fights, all hand-to-hand fighters will begin to use weapons. Not conventional weapons, however – unconventional weapons. Chairs, rocks, ropes, belts, shirts, each other – whatever is at hand at the time. Not only will this make it a little more realistic (have you realised that Zell only fights using his hands, feet and magic only? I have!), it'll also give me some stuff to play with!!_


	10. New Power

Ch 10 – New Power

Zell back flipped wildly, narrowly missing Julius as the doorknob ricocheted off the floor and into a wooden pillar, embedding itself into the brown wood with a shattering 'thunk'. Regaining his footing, Zell strafed out of the line of fire as electricity coursed it's way through the door, destroying anything it connected with.

He ducked behind a pile of boxes, trying to think. "Dammit!!" He cursed, looking around him as everybody else took cover, shards of wood, stone and glass flying all over them. "We need to get back up the stairs and into the main rooms! We're sitting ducks here!!"

Suddenly Emily stood, a wild determined stare in her eyes as they twitched slightly, her junctioning complete.

"Emily! No!" Trish cried as the Goth took off, her feet smashing into the concrete ground as she made a beeline towards the stairs, her body flitting through the electricity as if she could anticipate the jagged energy's paths. One second she was on the basement floor, the concrete kicked up by her footsteps exploding in contact with the Thundaga being pointed down the stairs – the next she was ricocheting off the basement-stair walls, dodging the incoming paramagic wildly – to disappear through the door.

A battle cry sounded, followed by the 'ding' of attacks hitting Orihalcon, the Thundaga dying down almost immediately. There was the sound of smashing wood, and Emily was blown back down the stairs, rolling to a stop just at the foot of the ground, plaster and woodchips settling beside her. She opened her eyes almost immediately, flipping to her feet just in time to avoid several shards of ice slam into the ground where she had just lay.

There was a subtle disturbance in the paramagic in the air, and Zell's eyes widened. "Fuck! Look out!!" Zell screamed, pushing up from his cover and running to aid his comrade. He had watched her junction her magic, and it was obvious the choices she had made – judging by her speed and by the time she had lasted upstairs, she had placed all her dependant magic in her strength and speed – leaving almost nothing to her elemental defences.

Coming up behind her, Zell wrapped his arms around her waist and spun around, his Shell flaring up around them just as the Flare hit them, the two SeeDs disappearing in searing hot flame, which ate away at the wooden boards and pillars.

Rinoa threw her hand out from behind her cover, casting Float into the Flare, and Zell and Emily suddenly flew out of the attack, falling to the floor unceremoniously and skidding to a stop before being psychically pushed behind some marble slabs.

Zell's shirt was burnt away at the back, and his back was red raw with burns, bleeding blisters on the scarred skin. Emily struggled out of his grip – to turn and see he was knocked out, the attack obviously being too much for him to handle. "He mustn't have been able to bring the Shell up in time…" Rinoa said, quickly hurrying over to him and placing her hands on his wounds. "He'll be fine – but we need to figure out a way to get out of here."

Emily watched as the Sorceress healed Zell, her hands glowing a bright green – before looking up at the ceiling, her cold eyes suddenly mirthful.

*          *            *

_"What do you have to say for yourself?"_ The Heart Warrior said to Ten'Kal, his robotic voice filled with vehenemonous hatred.

Ten'Kal sat on the floor of his living room, his body trembling with fear as he clutched Te'Kal close to him. "We were simply helping them! We did nothing wrong!!"

"Such audacity towards the Queen must not go unpunished. You're as disgraceful as they are." The warrior held his hand out then, the fire in his hands seeming to signify the end of Ten'Kal's life…

…Before a large hump appeared to form from the bottom of the carpeted floor – which then exploded outward, the Meltdown blasted straight through the floor and through the rooms above. A girl with glowing blue eyes suddenly flew out of the smoking hole, looking about her slowly – before sighting the Heart Warrior and smiling.

*          *            *

Another explosion flashed light from the hole, and Julius pointed up. "A way out." He muttered, before jumping through easily.

Squall watched the hacker move, before turning to Rinoa. "Will you be alright with him?"

"Just go, Squall. I'll be with you in a minute."

Squall nodded, before jumping through the hole as well, up into the fray.

Zell suddenly opened his eyes and rolled over, looking up at the ceiling. "Hyne, what just happened?" He gasped, remembering the searing pain of the Flare as it pushed straight through his hastily cast Shell. "I've never felt power like that in my entire life!!"

"These warriors seem to have a nice collection of magic as well." Rinoa said quietly, pushing herself to her feet. "They are much, much stronger then we anticipated."

Zell watched her as she jumped up through the hole, the obvious exit from the room – before looking at the destroyed stairs, a cold anger in his eyes. "Try to hurt me, will you?" He muttered to himself as he pushed himself to his feet and stalked towards the doorway…

*          *            *

Three Heart Warriors were waiting for him as he moved silently out of the basement, their helmets turned to the fight in the living room. Zell didn't bother to take in his surroundings much as he quickly stepped up to the first, smashing his fist into the man's stomach, causing him to double over. Acting quickly, Zell wrapped his arm around the bent man's neck, before jerking it upward, the audible snap signifying the breakage through the indestructible yet flexible metal.

This got the attention of the other two – a swords man and a duelist. The swords man quickly stepped forward, his jagged blade slashing through the air where Zell had just been. Zell strafed to the side just at the last second, colliding with the hallway wall – before kicking his leg out to arrest the Heart's blade on the opposite wall. The man looked up at Zell – before Zell twisted his body up and around, the leg supporting him flinging out and snapping across the man's head. The attack did two things – the first was that it sent the man flying through the hallway door outside. The second was that it sent Zell to the floor, landing on his belly.

Blinking, he swivelled to the side, his head barely missed by the foot that stomped down into the wooden floorboards. There was an electronic gasp of surprise, before Zell flicked his leg out to trip his assailant, causing her to fall to the floor with Zell.

Zell quickly rolled out of the way – to swerve suddenly, the Firaga's blasting gigantic holes through the house as he quickly ducked behind a door, into another room.

*          *            *

Back in the living room, Emily was in a spot of trouble.

She had seen contestant number one – but had failed to see contestants two, three, four and five standing behind her.

She had floated forward, her hand slashing out to smash the first Heart in the face – before adding a bit of Blue to the attack, sending the man careening into the wall with a psychic push. Then she had felt a hand on her shoulder grab her roughly – before it was ripped away.

Turning to expect another enemy, she watched as Julius grabbed her second assailant by the torso and toss him backwards into the other Hearts, their bodies colliding together like metal bowling pins. Squall jumped through the hole in the ground – before roiling forward, kicking Julius' feet out from under him as the Flare blasted the roof out from above them, debris flying all over the place as the Forbidden magic stabbed a bright beam into the sky.

Julius flipped to his feet – "Thanks" – before throwing his own hands out, both palms flat, his voice reaching an octave as he screamed the activating word. "Meltdown!!"

The blast hammered into the Heart warriors, destroying the wall they had been pressed up against and sending them flying out into the street. Julius turned to Squall and Emily. "It wont be enough to take them out, but we got some time to prepare now."

Squall turned to his pack, which was resting against a wall. It had been opened, the contents strewn all over the floor thanks to the paramagic sizzling through the air moments before. His eyes darting through the debris, he suddenly flicked his boot out to kick his LionHeart up into the air, the energy blade activating midair as he caught it – to slash three bullets out of the air!!

The sounds of gunfire suddenly reached them, and Squall ducked behind a wall, the two fighters following suit as the areas in which they stood was suddenly peppered with bullets. "A sniper." He muttered, watching as the bullets dropped from where he had cut them to the floor, falling neatly in half as they hit the floor. "We'll get Trish to deal with him…where'd she go, anyways?"

*          *            *

In the kitchen, Trish was busy with her own problems.

Ducking out of the way as another slash from the sword wielder cut a chair in twain, she span and kicked him square in the side, her boot cracking painfully onto the Orihalcon armour, sending the man into the kitchen bench lining the wall.

"Aiyaaa…" she grimaced as she rubbed her foot. "Better not do that again."

The sword suddenly cut through the air above her – to slam into the floor, cutting through the smoke of her teleport as she appeared on the other side of the room. She laughed out loud – before yelping in terror as the man turned on her again, overturning the table situated in the middle of the room to get to her.

Trish suddenly wished she had followed the others instead of teleporting out of the basement into the kitchen, where she had hoped it would have been safe – but no, she just had to bump into the idiot who had been making himself a bowl of the weird goo, who had looked as startled as her for a second – before pushing his helmet on and grabbing his sword.

That had been four chairs and a bench ago, and Trish was getting tired of teleporting around. Her knowledge of magic wasn't as adverse as the others, and as a fighter her skills were obviously nowhere near the same as the SeeDs. All she could do was avoid the big dope until somebody helped her or an opportunity presented itself.

It occurred to her that she should just teleport out of the room altogether – but then the big beam of fire had obliterated half the wall, so she figured it would be just as safe in here then it would have been outside.

Yelping in terror as the man stepped forward, she jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade as it slashed back down at her. Something inside her told her to duck too, and she decided to not ignore it, seeing as it had been right so far, and the blade that had slashed down suddenly turned into a carving cross, passing over her head with only a few golden hairs sacrificed.

Rolling up to her feet, she narrowed her eyes as she looked at the man once more, his body language signifying his growing frustration. "Fine. You wanna play rough…I'm just going to have to pull out the big guns." She said, gritting her teeth and holding her hands out.

Her assailant hesitated for a moment – and that was all the time she needed to teleport behind him and kick out for the back of the knee, causing him to kneel down on one pin. The man slashed out viciously behind him – but she simply jumped over the attack, pushing off the man's head and onto the last remaining chair, which sat just at the other end of the room.

Balancing delicately on top of the wooden chair on one leg, she reached out with one hand and beckoned the man forward with a coy smile.

The man threw his free hand to the side in aggressive anger, before pushing up to his feet and running forward, his sword held before him like a ramming stylus.

The desired reaction. Falling nimbly to a sitting position just in time for the blade to pass over her head, Trish slapped the two front legs out from under the chair, causing it to tip forward and slam the backrest into the man's stomach whilst allowing her to slip out through his legs. Grasping the two loose chair-legs as she went, she couldn't resist cracking the backs of his legs once more, before swinging the wooden poles up and down viciously on the sides of the man's head, the 'clang' of wood hitting metal hard on Trish's ears.

For the Heart Warrior, it was unbearable. The reverberating armour vibrated straight through his head, and he fell to his hands, one fist ripping the helmet away to stop the ringing, the empty Orihalcon skittering across the floor to rest against a wall..

An opportunity!! Trish's mind screamed as the man's shock of blond hair suddenly came into view, and Trish raised her chair-legs high…

…To be rocked off her feet as something bashed into the ground, causing the wooden floorboards to tremble, throwing her off balance.

*          *            *

One doorway away, in the dining room, Zell and the Dueling Warrior faced off, their attacks rocking the floor as the Heart grabbed Zell by his face and smashed his body into the floor, his head crashing straight through the floorboards.

The Heart paused momentarily – before Zell's hands grabbed the arm holding him, ripping the hand free of it's grip on his head and tossing her up into the roof, the Heart smashing into the roof and causing a person-shaped crater to form in the plaster.

Rolling out of the way to allow the Heart to fall, Zell jumped up and onto the dining room table, skidding backwards over the long wood as the Heart jumped up and threw her leg high up into the air, bringing it down on her end of the table. The table suddenly flew up into the air, sending Zell flying – straight into the Heart.

He crash tackled the woman through the nearest wall, the plaster and wood blasting out around them as they fell to the tiled kitchen floor, Zell's punches booming into the woman's face-plate, his Orihalcon-covered Uber-Ehrgiez ringing out with each punch.

"Look out!!" Somebody screamed – and Zell turned his head slightly to see a Heart without a helmet on holding his hand out, pointing it at Zell's back.

"Fool me once…" Zell muttered as he suddenly twisted, switching places with the woman under him and holding her up to take the full force of the Blizaga as it slammed straight through her Orihalcon, the thick shards of ice exploding in a bloody display from her chest-plate.

Zell kicked the woman off him, the body slamming into the attacking Heart, before flipping backwards – into another person!

This person wrapped her arms around his torso – and before he could fight back, they were suddenly surrounded in smoke, sitting in the middle of the living room. Zell looked around – to see a surprised Emily, Julius and Squall. "Get over here!" Squall screamed – but it was too late.

The bullet slammed into Trish's shoulder, taking a meaty chunk with it, causing her to cry out in pain as Zell pulled her out of the line of fire. Her screams were only muffled as Emily returned fire, sticking her head out to blast a volley of Firas at the area in which the sniper was supposed to be.

"This is a friggin war zone!" Julius screamed, flinching as several more bullets slammed into the remnants of the wall he was ducking behind. "We've only scratched the surface of these dudes! They're just too strong!"

"They're not invincible!" Zell yelled at Julius over Trish's screams, grabbing her hand and pressing it down on her bloody bullet wound before addressing her. " Trish! Trish, keep calm! Just keep pressure on it!"

"Grrrrr…" Trish growled as Zell pushed her hand onto the wound before grabbing his shirt and pulling him close. "…Dincht, when I get over this I'm going to beat the shit out of you, you fucking dickhead!!"

Emily's smile grew larger, impressed with the moxy of the cat-burglar. "The thief has spirit."

"Well, that's that plan out the window…" Squall muttered, looking down at Trish as she writhed in pain. "That'll take a while to heal, and we don't have too much time! We need to get out into the street and take out the rest of these guys!"

"Well, if you can take care of the sniper, we'll be able to!" Julius yelled, more bullets slamming into the wall behind him. "But what else are we supposed to do?"

His shouted words were suddenly cut off as a larger feathered being flew out of the hole in the ground and into the multi-sunned sky, flapping it's white wings with a strength unheard of, the speed causing it to fly past like a blur.

*          *            *

Rinoa had had enough. It had been bad enough having to be forced to wake up – but now her tasty, yet mildly disgusting, breakfast had been interrupted.

And to top it off, her new friend had just been shot.

The white feathered wings flapped behind her forcefully as she rose higher, weaving left and right as Thundagas and Blizagas burned their ways through the air at her, the Heart Warriors in the street taking pot-shots at her as she made her way to the building down the street.

Ten'Kal's house had been at the end of a dead-end, and the only good sniping position was in the house that was situated at the other end of the bottle-neck entering the road. Flying high in the sky, she counted an additional five Heart's exit the house as she flew forward, their hands pointed up at her as she dipped her wings, slashing through the hot air toward the ground at break-neck speed. She ducked and weaved through the barrage of magic flying at her, her smoking white eye darting this way and that as she psychically disposed of the magic's that came too close for comfort – before arriving just before the house.

Before she careened through the window, she threw a small magic into the room where the sniper was situated, the glowing dark ball of energy smashing through the glass window next to the open one in which the sniper was aiming out of. Banking her wings sharply, she took off straight up, the tails of her blue coat scraping against the wall of the house as she climbed higher, her wings flapping powerfully as she disappeared into the clouds.

The Heart looked down at the small ball as it bounced off the wall to rest beside him – before it flashed, then exploded, disintegrating the room and half the floor in an instant, the Ultima eradicating anything and everything in it's path.

*          *            *

"Well, that's one way to do it…" Zell muttered as he watched half the house simply disappear in a flash of dark light.

"Whatever." Squall muttered, jumping up and over the ruined wall into the street.

Julius followed suit, pushing his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose before jumping up after Squall.

Emily was about to follow suit before Zell grabbed her. "Em – take care of her." He said, pointing at Trish who lay on the floor.

She narrowed her eyes as she looked at Zell, who rolled his. "Not that way, dammit – take care of her, as in heal her? Rinoa's gone fly-about, Squall and Julius have decided to attack, and I've only got Cures on me right now. You've got some of those Regen based Blues like Sheran and Clara, right?"

Emily scowled at him, before turning to the whimpering Trish, her bloody wound spluttering gore everywhere. "Fine. But it'll take some time. I don't exactly have much use for it."

"Just do it." Zell stood and placed a hand on the Goth's shoulder, before vaulting over the side of the ruined wall into the fray.

"You owe me, Hunter…" Emily muttered as she held her hand over the wound, her eyes glowing a bright blue…

*          *            *

Zell stepped into the cobblestone street – to duck a Fire as it exploded against the wall of a house next to him. He turned to the man who had fired it at him and walked forward purposefully, pointing his finger at the guy. "You. Come here." He muttered as he began to attack.

Squall faced off against a group of Hearts, his LionHeart cutting a bloody swath through them as he ducked into the middle of them, swinging the energy blade left and right, finding the weak points in the plate-armour and slashing straight through them, just like his first battle at the Arch. Two Hearts were down before one Heart jumped forward, Squall slamming his sword into the man's chest, the energy blade digging deep into the Orihalcon with difficulty. Tugging at the blade desperately, Squall realised that it was stuck – and that he was in a world of trouble as the men he was previously whaling on now stood, coming for him with a vengeance.

Thinking quickly, Squall improvised. Lifting the body of the man over his head, Squall swung the blade down at the nearest opponent, using the blade as a club now, the man's flailing limbs only helping him as he smashed one opponent aside. Turning sharply, the LionHeart's tip was suddenly caught by a Heart as Squall swung the blade at him, the Heart Warrior grabbing his comrade's body and pulling Squall forward, trying to rip the weapon from the SeeD's grip.

Instead of fighting against it, Squall followed through, suddenly pushing forward with all his force and ramming the blade deep into both bodies as the Heart grabbing the tip of the blade was slammed into a wall, the shimmering blue blade digging deep into his torso. Pulling up with all his might and screaming at the top of his lungs, Squall ripped the blade from both bodies, a red line trailing from the middle of both bodies – before blood spurted freely from the vital wound, spraying the general area red with life-force.

Panting heavily from the effort used to run the energy blade through the nigh-indestructible armour, Squall rolled just to miss a large club aimed for his head, the attack crushing the cobblestones underneath it. The SeeD looked up to see a large Heart lift the heavy club up once more – before a magic attack slammed into the man's back, causing him to topple to the floor.

"Thanks…" Squall called to Julius, whose' smoking hand was still pointed at the fallen Heart.

"Don't mention it." Julius muttered, walking up and firing off some more Firagas into the man's back, the flames blasting straight into the metal, the hacker wanting to make sure that the larger Warrior wasn't going to get back up.

Spinning suddenly, Julius' hand arrested a Heart's fist, the attack stopping mere inches from the hacker's head with a resounding clang. Julius smiled at the Heart. "This Orihalcon stuff is great, huh? I can barely feel it when I do this…"

He paused in his words to smash his fist into the man's stomach, before unleashing a Meltdown into the chest cavity, the beam of paramagic blasting straight through the torso and into the building behind him, blowing a hole straight through the walls of the house.

Tossing the body away, Julius turned – to be knocked down by two Hearts, the one with a staff knocking his legs out from beneath him whilst the other jumped on top, pressing his knife against the hacker's throat. Julius was barely able to grab the hand, arresting the stabbing motion, as he looked over to Squall. "Hey! Wanna return the favour?!"

Squall didn't answer as he watched two other Hearts come from an alleyway. "Deal with it yourself." The commander said, before lifting his gunblade, taking careful aim.

The two hearts looked at each other, their body language suggesting that they took the pose as humorous – before a Pulse round slammed into the head of the first, sending him flying into the ruins of a house. The second Heart watched his comrade fly away, obvious surprise in his movements – before Squall was upon him.

Moving fast, Squall slashed the legs out from beneath the Heart with the blunt edge, causing the Heart to fall to his back, landing squarely. Squall stepped over him, and lifting the sword up high, stabbed it down. The blue energy blade crushed straight through the Orihalcon, blood spurting from the faceplate as the blade stabbed straight through the helmet. The Heart's arms jittered slightly – before lying still.

Squall pressed him foot against the neck of his dead foe and wrenched the blade from it's position, before turning to the two pinning Julius down. "How about picking on me, boys?" He growled – before spinning, his LionHeart slashing sideways to slash a Firaga blast squarely in two!!

The Heart who had been kicked into the destroyed building had remerged, his hand smoking from the paramagical blast. His helmet hung in his free hand by his side, a large dent where the face-plate was. The man's face was bloody, his nose seemingly turned inwards.

Squall shook his head tiredly – before bringing the LionHeart back up, the motion taking less then a second as his hand was up and firing, the Pulse ammo screaming through the air – to be deflected by the Heart!!

The Heart lowered the damaged helmet, the bullet still smoking in the dent that had appeared – before tossing it aside and dashing forward, his arms raised as he bolted towards Squall. From plates within his forearm armour, two long shivs appeared and fell into his hands, the man almost on top of Squall…

…Who knelt suddenly, the double-attack passing over his head!!

The man paused over Squall's body, looking down at the young SeeD…before coughing, blood spurting from his mouth and splattering to the ground. He looked further down to see the glowing blue sword stuck deep, almost hilt deep, into his chest.

Squall grimaced, then turned his blade, the blue energy sizzling as it burned and cut simultaneously through the man's chest cavity – before Squall stood and kicked out with his foot, the man falling effortlessly from Squall's gunblade to land on the disturbed ground.

Squall flicked the larger amount of blood from the energy blade, before watching the rest simply dissolve from its pure shape, like red stream poured onto a hot rod of steel. He then turned to the two attacking Julius once more.

Zell missed all this as he tussled with the Heart who had popped a shot off at him. He had chased the Heart farther down the road – to meet with the addition five Hearts who had been in the sniper's building, the reinforcements coming out of doors and alleyways. Zell blinked as he slowed his chase, winding down to a slow walk as the five Hearts walked forward. Two were armed with staves, on with a sword, leaving the other three as fist fighters.

Zell blinked as the Hearts advanced slowly, taking a step back as he shot a look behind him. "Uh, fellas, a little help?" He yelled – before seeing an exhausted Squall advance on the two Hearts who had Julius pinned down. Zell turned his sight back on the advancing Hearts and swore. "Shit…well then, lets get this over with."

All six men advanced, and Zell was in the middle of swords, fists and staves as he called on all his strength and speed to dodge and duck wildly, the attacks coming closer and closer as they forced him back into the dead-end.

A staff-carrier swung his weapon down with precision, causing Zell to catch it in his hands at the last moment – before a fighter slammed his fist into Zell's unprotected stomach, the punch blowing the wind out of the SeeD and forcing him to stumble back – into the swinging staff of the man behind him, the staff cracking into Zell's back excruciatingly. Zell went flying forward into a fist-fighter, causing both of them to topple to the ground.

Zell lifted up off the man – before ramming his head down hard, the Booya smashing into the Orihalcon faceplate as hard as the SeeD could muster. The attack could dent the thickest Adamantine – but all it did was cause a great ringing noise as bone connected to metal, and chicobos were suddenly dancing in Zell's vision. "Whoa…not a good idea…" he mumbled as hands grabbed him and threw him off the Warrior into a wall, his body digging into the stone as the rock crumbled around him.

Blinking hard, Zell watched in a daze as the sword-wielder stepped forward, his sword swinging behind his shoulder in the classic baseball bat swing…

The sword slashed forward almost too fast for Zell to see – but his reflexes astounded even him as his hands flew up and caught the blade, slapping against the sides and arresting the attack mid-swing!

The reactions of the Hearts would've been amusing if Zell wasn't done playing. Gritting his teeth, he allowed his energy to flow outward, filling his body with strength as the junctioned magic activated, blasting the stone around him away from his body as he focused on the task at hand. Ripping the sword from the man's grip, Zell rammed the butt into the faceplate, knocking the Heart to the ground, before stepping out of the crater in the wall.

Setting his hand by his sides, he screamed out to the heavens. "Aura!!" He bellowed, the yellow flame suddenly enveloping him as his power-levels suddenly peaked, blasting straight through their usual top-off points into through-the-roof territory.

"Meteor Barret!!" He screamed, before suddenly appearing before a Heart, his fist buried into the man's stomach. The man dropped his staff, the long metal weapon slipping from his grip – before physics caught up with him, launching him from Zell's fist into the nearest house, his body flying straight through the walls of the house into the one behind it.

The glowing SeeD then turned to the other Hearts, the five warriors taking their stances as the Hunter cast his eye over them, his body trembling with the amount of energy coursing through it. "No takers? Fine…" Zell growled.

Appearing behind the fist-fighter he had Booyaed faster then the eye could comprehend, Zell picked him up and threw him into the nearest Warrior, the two Hearts flying down the street to carve a deep groove into the cobbles. Looking down at the ground, Zell spied the staff, and he kicked out with his foot, kicking it up into his hands before spearing it at the two Warriors, staking them both to the ground.

He then turned to the one moving forward, his fist flying out – to slam straight into Zell's face!!

Zell didn't seem to react to the attack – he simply reached up with both hands, grabbing the wrist and the elbow and bending the arm. The forearm jarring unnaturally, a brittle snapping noise notifying the breaking of the elbow, and Zell could swear he heard screams from the noise-proof helmet of the Heart Warrior. It's didn't matter anymore as Zell grabbed the man by the neck and the crotch and lifted him up over his head. "Meteor Strike!!" He screamed, before jumping up and spinning through the air, slamming the Heart's body down into the ground with such force as to make blood spurt out from the cracks that occurred as Zell's hands dug into the Orihalcon.

Zell was breathing heavy now, the Aura taking its toll on his body. The unnatural flow of energy was now doing more damage then good, and Zell needed to finish off quickly before he burned out or had a Limit Arrest. Jumping up and out of the four-foot crater that had appeared after launching the Meteor Strike, Zell moved purposefully towards the last remaining Heart. The man walked backwards slowly, his hands out in a defensive stance…

…before Zell was knocked off his feet, something smashing him in the back. Bringing himself to his knees, he turned his head – to see the swordsman standing, his broken sword discarded, dark energy forming in his hands once more. The Demi was formed in the man's hands once more, Zell able to see slightly through the dark energy – before it smashed into his body once more, blowing him from his sitting position to skip across the ground, slapping out with his hands to land on his feet as his trajectory finally slowed.

He landed on his feet easily – before his legs buckled, unable to withstand his weight. He collapsed to one knee, the yellow flame around him dissipating, his power-levels dropping back down to their normal levels. He looked up at the two Hearts as they began to advance, before shaking his head and looking down. The Demi's had knocked away all his stamina, and his body felt like it was running on empty – he couldn't move anymore.

He was about to try for a Limit Break with the second Heart suddenly exploded in big, meaty chunks. No warning, very surprising – one moment he was advancing, the next his Orihalcon seemed to come apart at the seams, the flesh beneath it exploding without a moment's notice.

The first Heart looked down at the still-standing boots of his comrade – before looking up at the sky.

Rinoa floated up in the sky, her hand held out – before it flashed red once more with the Death symbol, the arcane mark traced in the air so fast you couldn't see the Sorceress move her fingers. Zell could swear he saw a dark figure appear before the Heart, a long scythe in it's bony hands – before he too exploded, the air suddenly filled with meaty chunks of bone and blood.

Rinoa floated down to where Zell sat, her 'voice' full of happiness. I'm sorry I'm late… she pulsed to him, waving a hand over him, healing all his wounds. But I wanted to make sure the other Hearts weren't going to interfere.

*          *            *

"Just how many did you take out?" Zell asked, standing up with ease now.

Oh…lets just say they won't be bothering us for a while.

Zell shrugged. "Well, if they're all as susceptible to Status magic like that, then maybe we ought to change our battle plans sometime…oh shit! Squall and Julius!!"

Already taken care of, Zell. Rinoa pulsed, ruffling her wings.

Zell rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks for the rescue. Second best, huh?"

Rinoa reached out and cuffed his cheek. Always.

Zell shook his head and looked over to where Squall and Julius stood, Squall moving through the bodies of the Hearts, tapping one with his sword every now and then. Julius walked forward, smiling at Rinoa. "Hyne, you just show up when you feel like it, huh? If you could do that at the very start, why didn't you?"

Rinoa closed her smoking white eyes, allowing her wings to retract into her back before she opened them once more, her feet touching the cobblestones once more. "Because one, it takes a lot of energy to go Angel, two, I'm not just a killing machine, and three, I thought you guys had everything under control. Obviously I was mistaken."

Zell patted her on the shoulder. "Never mind that, Rin. You're our secret weapon anyways. If there's something we can't go up against, I'm pretty sure I'll want you in the wings to give us a hand. And besides, once you get used to them, they're not all that difficult to take out…" He scratched the back of his head with a smile. "…Just your average grunts in your basic impenetrable armour."

Julius nodded. "Yeah…if this keeps up, we're going to have to restock on our Forbidden magic. It seems to be the only stuff that does any good against them."

"Yeah…" Zell said, looking over at Squall. The gunblader had been pushed to his limits against the Hearts…hell, they all had. If this kept going, they'll be burned out before they reached the evil Rinoa's universe. "Maybe next time we come across these guys we should just ignore them. We obviously draw too much attention when we fight them, and it takes way too much to fight them as well…most of the manoeuvres we pulled off today were luck. Against…twenty or so of these guys, we'd be gone."

"I concur." Squall muttered, finally finished with his inspections of the bodies and walking up to the others, his glowing blue gunblade resting on his shoulder. "We do draw too much attention when we fight them…next time we come across them, we must take evasive action." He shot a small smiled at Zell. "Although I thought I would have to suggest this first, Zell. You seem to like the challenge more then anything."

Zell thrust his hands in his pockets, his voice meek as he looked at the disturbed cobbles. "It's true…I do like a good fight now and then…but when it threatens the mission, I have to put aside my preferences. It would be the…leaderly thing to do."

Squall's smile grew slightly, and he placed a hand on Zell's shoulder with a small nod. "Well said."

Someone cleared their throat, and the SeeDs turned to see a small group of Te'Gets forming just in the entry of the bottle neck, most of them exiting from their homes and coming in from the streets. Zell gulped as he suddenly recognised the destruction that had taken place – at least three houses had been levelled, as well as the road being almost obliterated. Bodies lay everywhere, most with missing limbs thanks to Squall junctioning Quake to his strength before starting his battle, and thanks to Zell's Aura, some had been buried deep in the ground.

Squall stepped forward, deactivating the LionHeart and holding his hand up. "We mean you no harm…" he began, before a native interrupted.

"You…you four destroyed the Warriors?"

Zell nodded slowly. "Yes…we did."

"How?"

"We…we simply fought them."

There was a slight pause as the people muttered amongst each other, some pointing at Rinoa, others gesturing to Zell. Finally, they fell to their knees, bowing low as if to worship the SeeDs. "We owe you our lives!!" One woman said, bowing low. "You've rid us of them forever!!"

Zell scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Well…maybe not forever…" he said.

The people wither ignored him or didn't hear him. "You must be gods to wield such power!! Hail the new gods!!" One man cried, causing Squall to step forward and pull him roughly to his feet.

"Stand up, damn you! We're not gods, nor will we ever be!!" Squall growled, his anger evident.

Rinoa stepped forward, placing a soft hand on Squall's shoulder. "Squall…you're scaring them…" She whispered gently. "Lets get back to Ten'Kal and see what to do from there."

Squall held onto the man for a second longer, something resembling rage within his eyes…before he dropped him unceremoniously and turned, stalking away towards the house.

Zell walked up to Rinoa, who looked slightly lost as she watched her Knight walk away. "What…what's wrong with him?"

Rinoa looked at Zell, before shaking her head. "He's…he's got a thing about compliments. You know that." She said hesitantly, before following the gunblader.

Zell scratched the back of his neck, watching Julius shoo the crowd away as he tried to figure out what made Squall so riled. "Compliments? The old Squall perhaps…" He shook his head and shrugged. "Bugger it. Hey Julius! Come on, man!"

*          *            *

Squall opened the front door – to let it fall off it's hinges and slam onto the floor loudly, the door landing on the debris-covered floor with a loud bang.

He moved into the house, looking left and right at the destroyed walls, the big craters from where Zell fought the two Hearts, and walked into the living room, where Emily and Trish waited. The two women sat together silently, Emily with a sulking look on her face, Trish looking down at her shoulder and muttering to herself.

Squall walked over to his pack, pulling it from the collapsed wall and dusting it off before walking around and picking up his personal effects. He sensed Rinoa move into the room, but didn't acknowledge her presence – he simply dug into the plaster and wood, trying to find his tent.

Rinoa walked by him wordlessly, moving to crouch next to Trish. "How's your shoulder?" She asked.

"It's not my shoulder I'm pissed off about." Trish muttered angrily. "It's the fact I have a big-assed hole in my shirt now."

Rinoa smiled. "Don't worry about it. At least that's the extent of the damage, right?"

"…But I like this shirt…"

Rinoa was laughing out loud as Zell and Julius walked into the room, looking around at the destruction. "Hyne…Ten'Kal's going to be pissed." Zell muttered, looking at all the destroyed effects. "I'm pretty sure that he didn't expect this to happen."

"I don't think anybody expected this to happen." Julius said, walking forward and running his hand over the edge of the wall that had been taken out by his Meltdown. "We expended way too much energy fighting these guys. We'll have to train a little more if we expect to take them out with any ease."

"No doubt…" Zell said, looking down at the debris on the floor and kicking a piece of plaster across the room – before looking up quickly, urgency in his voice. "Wait! Where's Ten'Kal and Te'Kal?!"

Emily and Trish stood suddenly, their eyes filled with urgency as they saw something over Zell's shoulder.

He spun around quickly – to see the Heart who had been attacking Trish in the kitchen, his blond hair flowing around his shoulders erratically as he held Ten'Kal before him like a human shield, his sword's edge at the Te'Get's throat. The man's brown eyes were filled with anger and determination, and he as he spoke his voce became more and more menacing. "Lift your hand up in the air – all of you, so I can see them. And if I sense even the slightest rise in paramagic, I'll decapitate the old man."

Zell raised his hand slowly, backing away so that he joined the others, who did the same. "What do you expect to gain from this, man?" Zell said slowly, moving so that he was close to Rinoa. "We outnumber you, and without your helmet you may as well be as good as dead. Just drop the sword and we'll have a nice quiet talk over a can of soda."

"I've been briefed on all of you SeeDs. You'll kill me without a second chance if you were given the chance. So don't talk to me about 'quiet talks.'" The man pushed the edge of the blade against the old man's throat a little more. "Mercenaries…pah."

Zell narrowed his eyes, his mind moving in a blur as he shuffled his foot over to Rinoa's. As soon as they touched, a whole conversation took place between the GFs residing within them in less then a millisecond.

Diablo spoke, his voice forced and bored. "The Hunter wishes for the Sorceress to tell the thief to teleport behind the guy and sedate him with some kind of nerve pinch or something."

The deep rumble of a dragon's voice answered the Gravity God's request. "It shall be done, Diablo."

It was like the idea was placed in Rinoa's mind, and she narrowed her eyes for a second. Trish frowned as cotton clouded the scared feeling within her mind – then her eyes widened as she heard Rinoa's voice.

Trish! It's Rinoa! No time to explain, just listen! Zell wants you to teleport behind this guy and sedate him with something!

But…but I can't! My tools are in my bag!

Well, you're the only one out of all of us that can save Ten'Kal!!

Trish nodded slowly, accepting the plan.

Zell covered the exchange with questions. "How do you know we're SeeDs? How much do you know exactly?"

The Heart smiled slowly. "We have been given detailed files, Hunter…you should be scared. Every Heart in the universes know your face and who you are, and sooner or later you'll be taken down with a minimum of fuss, just like all the rest of those who oppose Queen Heartilly…what?!"

Trish suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing behind the man in an instant.

It was all the distraction Emily needed. Her hand moved like quicksilver as the magic shot out, the ice forming and shooting from her fingertips as quickly as bullets fired from a gun. The tiny Blizzard magic was sent in an instant to the Heart's face, slipping through the skin and bone into the brain, killing instantly.

It happened before Zell could react, and he watched as the Heart fell to the floor, deader then the stuff they had eaten for breakfast, a confused Trish appearing from behind the Warrior. "What? What happened?" Trish asked, a questioning look on her face.

Squall turned to Emily, who had formed a small ice ball in her hand and was rolling it about in the middle of her palm. "We needed him alive." Squall growled, looking at her impassive face as she rolled the ball about on her hand.

Her gaze didn't come up from the ball as she spoke. "He was going to kill the old man. I did what I had to save his life."

"Dammit!!" Zell yelled, stepping forward. "We're not murderers!!"

"Whatever." Emily muttered, crushing the ice in her hand in one sudden squeeze, before pushing past Zell and walking past the distraught Ten'Kal, who stood stock still as the realisation that he was still alive washed over him. His hand moved slowly to his neck, which was bleeding slightly from the razor-shape edge of the sword.

"My god…" he gasped, before turning to the SeeDs. "Th-Thanks you! You saved my life and the life of my wife!!" He watched as the SeeDs looked down at the ground, their mood obviously not one of celebration. "What is wrong? You've saved my people and me! If you're worried about our houses, we can rebuild! The Te'Get's have gotten used to it!"

Trish placed a hand on Ten'Kal's shoulder, her voice sad as she looked down at the dead man on the floor. "It's not that, Ten'Kal…it's the fact that we couldn't save him."

"But…but he was evil. Pure evil. You saw what he was going to do to me!"

"We're not assassins…not all the time." Zell muttered, walking forward and placing a hand on the dead-man's chest. "If we get the chance, we injure instead of kill. That's the way a SeeD must work. Protect the weak, hold up justice. That's the way it works in our universe."

Ten'Kal was obviously confused. "Then…then what did the woman with the pale skin just do?"

Zell said nothing as he continued to look down at the man, his expression unreadable.

Go ahead. Say it. Given the opportunity, you would have done the same.

No I wouldn't have, Diablo, and you know it.

Pah. Keep saying that, Hunter, but I know how you think. It crossed your mind, even for an instant. How was it any different from when you took down those six outside? How was it any different from when you killed Sheran?

Just shut up, Diablo…just shut up.

*          *            *

After the team had rounded up all their stuff, Te'Kal had admitted something. Rinoa had walked outside to allow the feeling of adrenaline to flood out of her system after the battle, sitting on the curb and watching as the Te'Gets surveyed the damage. She sensed somebody approach, and smiled up at Te'Kal as she walked out of the destroyed door. "Hi Te'Kel. Sorry about the house."

"That's okay, dear…" Te'Kal said kindly, her wrinkled face crinkling up into a smile. "Your friend Zell is making up for it by helping Ten'Kal chop wood out the back. He seems to think that he is indebted to us, when we are actually indebted to him."

"Well, Zell runs his life on a strong sense of honour, ma'am. He'll probably be waiting on you hand and foot until we leave…" Rinoa chuckled. "He's like that."

"Well, that's nice of him…" Te'Kal said, before hesitating. "I couldn't help but notice something, my dear…" She said, walking over to the woman as she gave her the hair-brush she had asked for.

"What? What was it?" Rinoa asked, running the brush through her raven dark hair in long draws. She remained confused until Te'Kal reached out and plucked a white feather from Rinoa's cardigan. "Oh…that."

"Yes…that." Te'Kal said, sitting down next to the Sorceress. "Ten'Kal…Ten'Kal has a hobby…studying ancient civilisations…"

"Yes…we saw that in the basement."

"Yes…well, then you must've seen the statues…"

"The ones with the winged woman?"

"Yes…" Te'Kal said.

There was a small silence as the two women pondered their thoughts, each looking out over the street. The sound of the wind mingled with the sound of laughing children as they played amongst the rubble in the street. Rinoa pulled the brush through her long hair, counting the strokes. It helped her relax, amazingly, and her hair always got frizzed up thanks to the energy outputs that she emitted whilst in Angel form.

Te'Kal finally broke the silence. "Ten'Kal said that…that you look almost exactly like them when you're in that form. He said it's breath-taking."

"I've been told I can get pretty scary while I'm in that form, too." Rinoa said sadly, pulling the brush through her hair.

"Could…could I see it?"

Rinoa looked at Te'Kal with a small smile, before taking the brush from her hair and holding it in her hands. "I'm sorry…I can only hold the form for a short amount of time, and I have to rest in-between transformations. I can do some serious damage to myself otherwise."

Te'Kal reached out and grasped Rinoa's hand gently. "I'm sorry, my dear. You didn't need to if you didn't want to."

Rinoa smiled at the old lady. "You remind me of the grandmother I never had."

Te'Kal frowned, confused. "How can I remind you of someone you never met?"

Rinoa chuckled. "Never mind. It's a saying we have in our universe."

Squall walked out of the doorway, followed closely by Julius, whom had Veronica strapped to his back once more, and Ten'Kal, who was holding something in his hands. "Rinoa, we're going to go see the Council of this village. There is something that Ten'Kal wishes to discuss with the remaining scientists that concerns you."

"What do you mean?" Rinoa asked.

Ten'Kal walked up to Rinoa, revealing what was in his hands, his voice tumbling out with excitement. "Your friends told me about your interaction with the Tidus in my basement. Can you read these inscriptions?" He showed her a pad of paper with the hieroglyphs on the Arch written down on perfectly.

Rinoa frowned, tracing her hand over them slowly, as if reading Braille. The feeling of deja vu she had felt when she had seen the Arch before washed over her once more. "They…they seem familiar to me somehow, but I've…never seen them before in my life…"

Ten'Kal looked as giddy as a schoolboy as he reached over and turned the page of the pad. "Then…do you know these patterns?" He asked excitedly.

Rinoa frowned as she looked down at the page. "These…these are the magical symbols for our elemental, status and forbidden magic. Where did you get these? Only high-ranking magic users know all of them."

"I gave them to him, Rinoa." Squall said. "He said he recognised the sign for Death that you traced in the air when you finished off those Hearts attacking Zell before he was taken by the one in the kitchen. He says it's a variation of one on the Arch."

"What?!" Rinoa gasped, quickly flicking the page back and running her finger down the paper…before gasping out loud. "My gods! You're right! But what does it mean?"

Julius shrugged. "We don't know. That's why we're taking the Arch and you to see these scientists. They may not know much compared to our technology…but they do have some experience in the magic fields."

"In other words, we think we have a way to activate this Arch…if you're willing to cooperate." Squall said.

"Hell yes! Lets get going, come on, lets go!!"

*          *            *

Rinoa sighed, rubbing her head. Hours of tedious magical tests had begun to test her patience, and it was beginning to get cold outside as the two suns began to set. The funny Te'Get scientists regarded her as if she was a princess one-second, then like the Ebola plague another. And she was getting ticked off with all the explanations. "So, let me get this straight. All I have to do is cast the spells that are on the Arch on the Arch, and I'll activate it?"

"That's about right, ma'am." The Te'get scientist said, pushing his over-sized glasses up onto the bridge of his thin nose. "These certain spells, when cast at the same time, release a combination of paramagical shockwaves which, when corresponding with the Arch's original universal proximity, creates a parallel rip in the space-time-continuum which you can then use to traverse to and from differing universes, depending on the relative paranormal vagaries between the two paradoxes."

Rinoa looked at the scientist, her expression completely deadpan. "That has to be the most boring thing anybody has ever said to me."

Julius rolled his eyes as he looked up from his computer, where he was entering information at an alarming rate. "He's saying that if you cast the spells on the Arch, it'll activate it and allow us to go to another universe."

"Wow, the short version." Rinoa muttered, hopping down from the bench from where she was sitting and moving over to Squall, bundling into his arms with a tired yawn. "Can we go now Squall? I'm…*hfwaaaa*…tired."

Squall smiled down at her and kissed her forehead before hugging her close. "Yes, we can. Gentlemen, thankyou for your time. Julius, we'll meet you back at Ten'Kals."

"Hmmph…" Julius grunted, still typing furiously.

Squall and Rinoa looked at each other, before they made their way to the door. "If you want us, just us the comm. device. You remember how to use it?" Squall called.

"Yes, yes…"

"Okay…see you later."

"Hmm, bye."

The two walked out into the dusky atmosphere, Rinoa frowning as they began the long trek back to the house. "He seemed a little…preoccupied, didn't he? I mean, how much thought does there have to be to do this? I cast the spells, I open this portal thingy, right?"

"He was searching their databases for anything regarding re-animation. But I doubt he'll find anything. These people are years behind us technologically for most things. They don't even have trains."

Rinoa nodded slowly, hugging Squall a little tighter as they walked. "Do…do you think he'll ever…"

"If you had asked me a few years ago, the answer would be no. But who knows who we'll meet in these next few universes…or what we'll find."

*          *            *

When they had finally returned to the house, they had found out another thing about this universe – it rained when it was night. And not just a small patter – it poured down in sheets, the chubby rain splattering onto them without remorse.

Squall and Rinoa ran under what was left of the roof, Squall allowing Rinoa to exit from under his coat before taking it off and flicking it, spraying the area with water. "It must be annoying, living here…" He muttered, running a hand through his wet hair. "Burning heat in the day, freezing rain in the night…"

"Well, she doesn't seem to mind…" Rinoa said, pointing out to Emily who sat on a lounge chair in the living room, the night sky pouring it's contents onto her as she sat silently, allowing the cold rain to drench her thoroughly.

"She can like what she wants." Squall growled. "Right now I couldn't give a damn." Her actions regarding the Heart from the kitchen was still burned into Squall's mind, and he couldn't help but grimace at her. We're not murderers…but we're not exactly saints either. She walked the fine line, the line where you're not supposed to cross…and she's wavering. She's wavering – and that can't be allowed.

"Squall…" Rinoa said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He looked down at her, his bad mood suddenly disappearing as his face turned into a smile. "Come on. Lets see if somebodies made dinner."

*          *            *

"We wish you could stay longer. We have much to show to you regarding our world."

The two suns burned down on the green field as the small group of people said goodbye to the SeeDs as they prepared to pass through the smaller Arch. Rinoa stood a little away from the group, rubbing her hands together and blowing on them as she ran through the procedure again. It had been a while since she had had to simultaneously cast several magic spells at the same time. Not only that, most of the spells weren't exactly easy ones to cast. At least half were Forbidden, and several of them were Status magic's, magic's that required a lot of concentration

The rest of the small crowd – Ten'Kal, Te'Kal, Ten'Jar, and several townspeople, including several of the group that had originally met Zell and the others at the research facility. They had all gotten to know each other during a small going-away party in a small inn the night before. The weird food and strange dancing customs had been aplenty, and even though it had felt to the SeeDs like they were…out of place with theses strange people, they had enjoyed themselves.

Zell smiled at Ten'Kal, his grip on the old mans shoulders firm. "You've already helped us heaps, old man. If it weren't for your quick thinking, I think we might have been stuck here with no idea what to do next. Now at least we have a direction to follow."

"Lets hope the direction you're taking is a safe one, Zell."

Ten'Kal then placed his hands on Zell's shoulders and pressed his forehead to the SeeDs. Zell was still slightly confused as to how the whole ceremony came about – but then, he never knew the origin of the handshake either, so it didn't worry him much.

Rinoa walked up to them. "I think I'm ready now. We can prepare to go soon."

Te'Kal gave each of the group a hug – except for Emily, who had wandered off in the distance, as well as handing them their packs. "I've washed and repaired all your clothes, as well as giving you some provisions. We wish you well."

Trish smiled at the old lady. "Thank you, ma'am. I hope the Heart Warriors wont bother you again."

Te'Kal shrugged, an even smile on her wrinkled old face. "We're sure that as soon as you're gone, they'll come back. We're prepared for the consequences."

Squall narrowed his eyes. "We're requesting for additional troops to be sent through the Big Arch to give you some help if the Hearts come through again. Julius will be back soon with our Commander's orders."

*          *            *

The Big Arch, as Squall called it, looked less menacing in the double light of the suns compared to the pouring rain…but it never-the-less gave Julius the creeps.

Something made him shudder as he looked up from his laptop into the pulsating purple mass that was the doorway to his universe. All alone too, it made him ponder what might happen if he simply walked through and disappeared once more, leaving the mission behind…

…but the thoughts were fleeting ones. Everything he had done now had been for a purpose – Veronica. And since almost every single option, magical and scientifically, in his universe had been exhausted…that left him with only one option left. 

He had read the classified files stolen from the Galbadian Presidential networks. The files containing hints of the cryogenic freezing of Deling's body. The scraps of information regarding his unholy resurrection…and even though he had even considered that option, Julius had cast it aside.

He loved Veronica too much to cast her to a life like that.

He picked up the transmitter connected to the laptop, looking down at the small radar dish. With this he would be able to contact the head offices in Galbadia Garden, getting into contact with Carpenter personally. Pausing for a second, he tossed the little dish into the Arch, the plastic object passing through the shining purple film like a pebble being dropped into the water.

Turning to the laptop, he keyed in a few commands before pressing the 'activate' button with a slight tap of the thumb. A window appeared on the screen filled with static, a small buzz emitting from the speakers on the laptop.

There was a tinny chime from Julius' earpiece, and he pressed the activate switch on the transmitter on his leather band around his wrist. "Julius here."

"What's your situation, man?" Zell's voice said from the earpiece.

"I've sent the probe into the Arch…I'm waiting for the security systems to shake hands and confirm that we can have a confidential conversation."

"Well, hurry it up, if you can. Rinoa's all set to go. We need to know wether or not Carpenter will help these people."

"I'll try my best, dude. Julius, out."

Letting go of the switch, Julius looked down to the computer to see a 'call waiting' sign in the window where the static had been. He tapped another command into the keyboard, and the vision of the Garden Commander came onto screen. The background was the one of Commander Carpenter's office, and Carpenter himself looked himself – cool, calm Head of Masters.

"Julius!" Carpenter exclaimed, his cool exterior betrayed by a slight show of surprise. "I didn't expect to you to make the contact."

Julius frowned. "You were expecting someone else, sir?" He asked suspiciously.

Carpenter smiled and shook his head. "No, no…I was just expecting Zell to be the one to make the mission statements. You know, the leader's duty?"

"I'm afraid that Zell is busy right now. You'll have to deal with me, sir."

"Of course. It didn't really matter either way. No, what can you tell me about the mission so far?"

Julius shrugged. "We've made almost no progress, sir. We've been attacked by the people who came through the Arch several times, and each time one thing has become severely certain – we're way out of our league."

"You seriously think you cannot defeat these warriors?" Carpenter asked, leaning forward. "What does Zell think about this?"

"Zell was the one who suggested that we avoid further contact with them in the future."

Carpenter leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting…I would have figured that Zell would have relished the idea of fighting a more worthy opponent."

"Not when the opponents are stronger, faster and outnumber you almost ten to one. Zell has the team to think about. Emily was injured during the first fight, and Trish isn't exactly the kind to fight her way out of a situation."

Carpenter sighed, leaning forward to look at Julius directly. "Mr. Garner, you must realise that you and your peers were chosen for…specific purposes. Although you are able to hold your own, Miss Jones is considerably weaker then you. But her skills in espionage and infiltration are so great you wouldn't even be able to come close to them. She has been doing that kind of work since she was a child. She's been brought up to avoid confrontations."

Julius waited as Carpenter paused. "And Emily? Do you have anything to say about her?"

Carpenter shrugged. "Well…Miss Strange has a very delicate body structure. Although she is skilled in martial arts and the such, her main advantage is in magic. Considering her magic strength and Blues, she's as powerful as Rinoa."

Julius blinked at the revelation. "That's…that's impossible, sir. Rinoa is the Sorceress. Her magical power is unequalled."

Carpenter smirked. "Come on, Mr. Garner. Remember Squall and Ultimecia? Commander Leonhart destroyed her Protect and defeated her with an extreme amount of energy – but he still destroyed her. Emily has the potential to defeat Rinoa – in normal form. In Angel form she wouldn't last half a chance. But it's the potential in people that you have to be wary of. You, of all people, considering the Limit Break training you've been through, should know that."

Julius decided not to answer.

Carpenter leaned back once more, seemingly satisfied. "So, how was the trip through the Tidus?"

Julius groaned. "Terrible…but the people in this universe were able to study Rinoa's magic's, as well as the Arch in general. They think that, since it's Rinoa who will be activating this Arch, that it'll be a little…different compared to the last trip."

Carpenter frowned. "You found another Arch?"

"Yes, a smaller one…" Julius said, before a tinny chime interrupted him. "…Excuse me, sir, but that'll be Zell."

"You can answer it, Julius. It's fine by me."

Julius activated the comm.-device. "Julius here."

Zell's voice came over the radio loudly. "Julius? What's going on? Rinoa's getting antsy! She says that if you aren't here in fifteen minutes she's going to activate it without you! C'mon man, get a move on!!"

Julius rolled his eyes. "I'll be moving along soon, okay? I'm talking to Carpenter now."

"Did you ask him about the troops?"

"I was just about to until you interrupted me!"

"Oh…well, okay…carry on, I guess…see ya in a few."

Julius cut the transmission, and looked at Carpenter tiredly. "Did you hear that, sir?"

"Yes, Julius. May I ask why we need the troops?"

"The people of this universe have been oppressed by the warriors who came through the Arch. We need the extra SeeDs in order to keep the people from being slaughtered the next time a patrol comes through."

Carpenter thought for a second, and Julius watched as the cogs turned in the man's head. He frowned slightly as he thought, before slapping his hand on top of the desk loudly. "Very well, Mr. Garner. You'll get your troops. I'll be sending fifty SeeDs from the three Gardens to help. This'll compromise the secrecy of the mission – but at least it'll keep these…Hearts? From hurting the people any more."

"Thank you sir!" Julius exclaimed, slightly surprised at his own emotional outburst. He had barely met these people – but for some reason he felt an affinity for them. They seemed like decent, honest people.

"Well, you'd better get back to the others then. Remember to keep me posted on your situations."

"Right, sir. Cut transmission."

*          *            *

Julius finally arrived to see the team waiting for him, Zell trying to ignore Rinoa as she jumped up and down before him, his arms crossed as he avoided her annoying yet determined.

"C'mon Zell lemme do it! I wanna do it now, before I lose my nerve! Come oooooon!! Julius is taking too long! I wanna do it noooow!!"

Zell turned to Squall. "Dude, how do you shut her up?"

"Ice cream and cola-beer…why, do we have some?"

"Hey…" Julius said, running up to the team and shouldering his laptop-pack, out of breath from running the distance of the Arch to the field. "Are we ready?"

"Yes we are." Rinoa said, looking at Zell with a pouty look on her face. "If Mr. 'we-have-to-wait-for-everybody' Zell thinks it's alright."

Zell rolled his eyes. "Okay. Fine. You can do your thing now, Rinoa. Are you happy now?"

Rinoa placed a finger on the tip of her bottom lip. "Ummmm…yeah, okay." She shot a smile at the boys, before turning and heading over to the Arch, lacing her fingers and cracking them as she stopped before it.

Trish walked up to Julius as he knelt and pulled out his laptop again, quickly turning it on and pulling the screen up. "What are you doing?" She asked, placing a hand on her hip as she looked down at the blond fighter.

He looked up at her with a small smile, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "Don't you think it would be a good idea to record these events for future study?"

"How about this…why don't we just let Rinoa do her thing and sit back and enjoy the show? Wouldn't that be fun?"

"Trish, you have no idea of the concept of future reference. What would happen if we didn't keep record of what we've accomplished? Nobody would ever be able to replicate those achievements in future generations. It would be like finding a cure for cancer and then forgetting all about it."

Trish rolled her eyes and snorted. "Okay, there are so many things wrong with that it's not even funny."

"Quiet…" Zell whispered. "…She's about to start."

*          *            *

All talking was silenced as Rinoa finally stopped stretching her arms, allowing them to loosely fall by her sides.

The seconds passed slowly as the sorceress seemed to compose herself, her body almost completely relaxed. She began to measure her breathing, remembering everything that the Instructors at Garden had taught her. Slowly – infinitely slowly – she raised her hands, her fingers loose as her arms rose up past her hips, past her chest, until they were finally held high above her head.

Her arms were now standing straight up, rigid, her bones like steel rods. Allowing her fingers to fan out, her palms facing the blue skies, Rinoa closed her eyes and began to concentrate.

The lush green grass surrounding her banked sharply as paramagical energy suddenly blew out from her, the invisible breeze causing grass and dirt to shoot into the air. The breeze licked against the team, forcing them back.

The magic within her grew as she systematically began to sort all the magic she needed to cast, going through the list stored in her head one by one, placing and rearranging the orders so that the easiest ones would be cast first.

The breeze began to grow into a strong wind, Rinoa's body emitting an electrical disturbance, the blue jagged spikes travelling up and down her body as the amount of magical energies around her began to peak. A low hum was beginning to sound as Rinoa opened her eyes, the brown slowly milking away to a smoky whiteness…

Her wings flared out majestically, the feathered appendages suddenly springing out from her back.

It was like somebody had allowed a trickle to turn into a tidal wave. The stiff breeze everybody had been feeling suddenly turned into gale-force winds, knocking down the least trained of the group standing on the sidelines. The Te'Gets saw Rinoa's transformation and simply gaped, unable to speak or even move thanks to the fantastic transformation…before being literally blown away by the sheer power.

Trish watched the Te'Gets literally fly away and readjusted her grip on Zell's arm, who seemed to be unaffected by the wind. "How do you do that?" she called over the wind, her ponytail flapping behind her as she watched Rinoa's field of electrical energy grow even higher.

"What? Not get blown over?" Zell called, smiling down at her. "We've been trained in all kinds of stuff, hon. This is nothing."

Trish looked down at the ground, watching the grass wave erratically, and tried not to fly away. She looked at the others, standing as if the wind was simply sluicing off of their bodies. Emily even looked a little unimpressed by the display.

Her energy finally reaching it's peak, Rinoa finally lowered her hands and pointed them at the Arch, her fingers tracing through the air, the lights flowing from them varying in different colours and sizes. A massive shockwave blasted from her as she launched the massive collection of magic, the energy flowing from her body into a multi-coloured ball which hovered before her, slowly growing in size as Rinoa poured one magic after another into it…before slamming her palm against it's side, the ball flying straight into the Arch!

The ball slammed into the Arch with a vicious explosion, the detonation rocking the ground that they stood on. The Arch began to glow as the explosion slowed, the outburst of magical fire, multicoloured flickering flames which shone in the sunlight, seeming to stop.

Wind continued to whip from both Rinoa and the Arch, Rinoa keeping her hands splayed towards the arch, the Arch seeming to assimilate the massive magical assault it had just taken – before a loud sucking noise emitted from the opening on the Arch.

Almost instantly, the magical element that had been paused before the Arch seemed to disappear – revealing a sheen on blue light on the opening, the sheen seeming to ebb and flow like water.

Rinoa lowered her hands, her wings retracting as her power levels dropped to normal. "It's done." She called, feeling slightly drained.

*          *            *

So, did you enjoy that? This chapter was almost the same length of My Final Finale from Tournament, and only half of it was action! Excellent!!

The next chapter the team will be going through the Tidus – what will they find? You'll have to keep reading to find out, dammit!! I mean, how else are you going to really find out?!


	11. Strange Interrogations

Ch 11 – Strange Interrogations

Squall dashed forward, catching Rinoa before she fell. "Are you alright?" He gasped.

She smiled up at him whilst she was held in his arms, and raised a hand to trace it across his firm chin. "I'll be fine…I guess I put too much energy into the magics."

Zell let out a sigh and turned to the others. "All ready?"

Emily and Trish nodded. Julius continued to type madly into his laptop. "I'll be ready in just a second…this is amazing…"

"What you go?" Zell asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well…" Julius murmured, lifting one hand to readjust his spectacles. "According to these readings, this Arch's energy is a lot more different then the one we passed through to get here. Not only does Rinoa's use less energy to stay active, it also seems to resonate a different…" He paused, before finally clicking in a few commands and waving Zell over. "It'll be easier to just show you."

Zell walked over to Julius and looked down at the screen. "See this line? Imagine it as… 'radiation' emitted from the Arch." He said, pointing down at a small wavy line, it's path smooth and elegant as it traced across a green background. "Now, this is the 'radiation' from the Arch we came through." He tapped a key, bringing up a second line, this one jagged and uncertain, spiking wildly in some places, then turning down into short bursts of jagged lines.

Zell shrugged. "So what? What does it mean, exactly? The Aches are different in size and weight, as well as the magics that activate them."

"The Arch isn't the thing emitting these readings!! It's the porthole into the other universes!" Julius exclaimed, looking excited. "The Arch is just the doorway. I think it's the prerogative of the caster that's causing these patterns. See how Rinoa's one is more natural, more calm, whilst the other one is more violent?"

Zell frowned, scratching the back of his neck. "Can you just tell me what you mean?"

"I mean that the factors concerning this Arch might not be a problem for us. The pain from the first one, as well as the thing with the metal…they might not exist."

Zell raised his eyebrows, smiling in delight. "Really?! Cool!! I really didn't want to go through that hell again!"

"But how do you really know?" Emily asked, crouching down next to the computer screen.

Julius blinked, looking down at the screen before looking backup at her. "Well…well, I don't…really…"

Emily snorted. "You may examine it with your machine all you want…but when the balls hit the brass, nothing beats good old physicality. Right Hunter?" She said, looking up at Zell with a humorous smile.

Zell gulped, cursing himself for doing so, before turning to look at the shimmering blue screen. "She's right. For all we know it might be totally dangerous to go through. We need to test it." He turned to Julius. "Do you have anything from when they tested our Arch?"

Julius pressed a few buttons, before reading some information quickly. "They didn't really do much…when they found it open they immediately set up a perimeter and sent some men in. They thought it was a still-active Arch left over from Ultimecia. Since you guys didn't have any real trouble when you went through Time Compression, they assumed it would be safe as long as they knew what they were doing."

"Obviously not…" Emily muttered with a smile.

"So, we test it." Zell confirmed, crossing his arms. "But how?"

They all thought for a second – before Emily unslung her backpack, opening it and reaching inside. "What? What is it…oh, okay." Zell said, finally understanding.

Finally withdrawing her hand, Emily revealed a small earring that she had placed inside when she had taken off her face jewellery to pass through the first Arch. Zell absently recognised it – it was like a spike, the tip wickedly sharp which expanded into a small ring. She looked down at it for a second – before looking up at Zell, her dead eyes locking onto his. "I need string." She muttered.

Zell stared back at her – before blinking. "Oh, right!" he said. Reaching into the crap he usually stored in his pockets, he began to pull it all out, muttering as he went. "Chocobo…keys…yo-yo…knife…cards…ah-ha!" He cried triumphantly, finally withdrawing a small ball of string.

He tossed the ball to Emily before busying himself with placing all his objects back into his pockets. Catching the ball easily, she unfurled it a bit and tied the loose end onto the ring of the earring, before walking up to the Arch. Spinning the piece of metal around on the string for a second, she suddenly released it, the earring passing through the porthole without so much as a ripple.

The string sat where she had tossed it, not dropping down like it was supposed to, and she dragged it back, the string popping out with the earring attached.

Zell nodded. "Excellent. But, just to make sure, we'll keep using the Orihalcon."

"Yeah. It really saved my knuckles this time around." Julius said with a smirk, slapping his laptop shut.

Zell turned to the Te'Gets who had managed to gather the courage to return, watching as they walked slowly back from where they had been blown away. Spying Ten'Kal and Ten'Jar, he walked up to them. "Well, thanks for having us, it's been a blast staying with you guys, but we got a mission to accomplish."

"We understand." Ten'Kal said with a smile. "We hope we'll see you in the near future."

"Hopefully we'll be seeing you again too." Zell said with a smile, before shouldering his pack. "Alright gang! Lets get going!"

*          *            *

In a desolate wasteland the Arch stood, it's blue light bathing the surrounding area as if displaying a warm, friendly glow. Occasionally sparks came from the Arch, as the paranormal intricacies of the two universes met and adjusted themselves to suit each other.

Suddenly a small earring popped out of the portal, landing on the cold ground with a loud clatter, killing the silence. It lay still for a second, before being pulled back through the portal roughly, creating another ripple as it disappeared into the blue.

Nothing moved. Rocks sat around the Arch, which stood as if alone on a wide open plain, the cracks in the ground the only things signifying that there had ever been movement in this world.

Suddenly a figured emerged from the Arch, the portal's blue ripping off him as if he had just stepped from a pool of sticky jelly. The matter seemed to be pulled off of him, floating back over to the portal to be absorbed once more.

Zell looked around himself, readjusting his Uber-Ehrgiez as he saw the desolation around him. "Does it always have to be rocks?" He murmured to himself, crouching as he ran his gauntleted hand over the rocky ground. "What's wrong with some nice grass and a stream or something?"

Julius emerged next, having to bend forward slightly to allow Veronica passage. Taking one look around, he grunted, before removing his backpack and pulling out his laptop, taking readings of the world around him immediately.

Zell walked about a little as Julius did his thing, just to make sure that they were actually alone this time. Narrowing his eyes and concentrating slightly, he cast Scan, his eyes bathing the areas he looked with green as he scanned for any life forms. Turning in a slow circle, he found he picked up nothing except Julius, and walked back to the hacker. "Hey dude, you know that you have a weakness to fire and like a small scotch when you go to parties?"

Julius looked up at Zell, his expression deadpan – before shaking his head, looking back at the screen. "Everything seems normal, air, water…the gravity is slightly different then ours, though…but at least it isn't boiling like in Te'Get. Satellite images show that the continents have been broken into pieces, and are completely flat…like somebodies been destroying them one by one."

Zell snorted. "Looks like it to me." He muttered, looking down at the screen. "Where are we now?"

Julius brought up a map of Gaia and compared it to the map of the world the computer had gotten from the satellite. "We're currently where Winhill is supposed to be…hmm." He grunted.

"What?"

"There is a _shitload_ of Draw Points nearby…and they all seem to be extremely high-level."

Zell narrowed his eyes, taking in the information and processing it slowly. Every SeeD was taught at a young age that Draw Points were small, focused paramagical fountains where a person could draw and store magical properties, usually in an elemental way. Only extremely high levels of paramagic flow released high-levelled magic – and the flow needed to be very focused, very concentrated. "Gods…whoever resides here must've stabbed their magic right into the heart of Gaia to release such potent powers…" Zell whispered, feeling horrified and slightly sick.

Julius nodded slowly – before turning to the Arch.

Rinoa and Squall walked through together, Rinoa obviously still feeling sick from the casting – but as soon as she stepped onto the soil, she doubled over, crying out.

Everybody ran to her, Squall hugging her close as he watched her tears stream down her cheeks. "Rinoa! What is it?!" he cried.

"This planet…it's pain…I can feel it…"

Squall watched her cry out in pain once more, before setting her down on the ground. Placing a hand on her head, he cast Sleep, sighing as she fell into a deep slumber. He shook his head and stood. "Opening the Arch has raised her magic sensitivity up a few notches. I didn't figure it would be this bad, though."

"How do you know that?" Zell asked, kneeling down next to her.

"I'm her Knight. I'm supposed to know." Squall said confidently. His frown, however, signified that he really didn't know how that information had came to be within his memory…but he shrugged it off. "She'll be fine once she's rested."

Trish and Emily finally came out of the Arch, Trish walking quickly – to be stopped abruptly by Squall, placing a hand forward to stop her from tripping over Rinoa's body. She was breathing heavily, obviously quite anxious as she didn't open her closed eyes. "Is…is it over yet?"

"Yes." Emily muttered – before giving her a shove, causing her to slip past Squall's hand and fall straight for the floor. There was a small yelp from Trish as she saw the ground coming towards her quickly – before she disappeared in a puff of smoke, appearing behind Emily. 

"Hey! That was uncalled for!!" She yelled.

"It amused me." Emily said with a smirk. "That's all. It's not like I hate you…much."

Trish felt like putting a fist into the pale girls pretty face, but stopped herself at the last second. She knew she couldn't beat her in a fight – so she'd bide her time. Turning and walking over to Rinoa instead, she brushed past the smirking Emily and kneeling next to the sleeping Sorceress. "Is she alright?" she asked nobody in particular.

"She'll be fine…" Squall said, kneeling next to Trish – before looking up at Zell. "…But we wont be unless we get out of the open."

Zell nodded, taking the advice to heart. "Right. It's dark right now…and we made the mistake of camping on the spot last time. We'll start out now…Julius, any civilised areas around?"

Julius quickly checked his com-map. "Uhhh…there looks to be a built up area about fifty kilometres to our immediate north. Shouldn't be very hard to find. It's rather big."

"Righto, we'll start out for that place and make contact. Hopefully Rinoa will be awake by the time we get there. Lets move."

*          *            *

The landscape didn't change much as they walked, the dirt-brown rocks spanning out in all directions with no sign of life whatsoever. The Arch had disappeared behind them an age ago, and the only movement that the SeeDs found were the occasional Draw Point, the blue lights floating softly from the ground.

After walking for a few hours Zell called for a rest, stopping beside a small cluster of the floating blue lights. As Squall placed Rinoa, who was still asleep, down on the ground, Zell shoved his pack off his back, the Orihalcon hitting the rocky ground with a metallic clang, and gestured for Trish to follow him.

He moved over to the collection of Draw Points and sat down next to a small group of them, motioning for Trish to do the same. "So, what's happening, Zell?" Trish asked, tired from the walk. "Need to give me a pep talk? Cause if you are, you may as well tell someone else, cause I'm too tired to…"

"I was wrong about you."

Trish looked up at him, seeing the seriousness in his eyes. "What…what do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"I figured that you'd be powerful enough to take some of these guys we've been fighting…but I guess I overestimated yer strength."

"Hey! I'm stronger then I look!"

"I know…but that was in our world, against our people. This is a whole new ballpark…and I can't afford to keep looking over my shoulder for you."

"So far you haven't even helped me in a fight! What are you complaining about?! It's not as if you're my mother! And besides which, I've been able to hold myself in a fight so far! You guys are supposed to be the experts, and you keep getting your asses handed to you! It's not like I'm sucking as much as you are…"

Zell rolled his eyes. "Just shut it for a second, will you!!" He shouted, his frown turning into a scowl.

Trish shut her mouth, looking insulted as she pouted at him sullenly.

Zell calmed down, tracing a pattern in the dust on the rocky ground with his metallic finger. "Look, I'm sorry, but it's the truth. I have been looking after you. Remember the first fight? I paired you off with Rinoa, and I knew you two would come up with a suitable plan. And lets just say my trip through the wall of the kitchen at Ten'Kal's wasn't a mistake."

Trish rolled her eyes and crossed he arms. "Fine, you've been _babysitting_ me. What's the point?"

"The point is that I'm going to give you a crash course in magic, so shut up and listen!!" Zell growled, the irritation really beginning to show itself.

Trish's eyes widened – before composing herself, shrugging as if it was no big deal. "Um, yeah, okay. Whatever."

Zell smiled at her, feeling his heavy mood wash away. "I knew you'd react like that. But I'm not talking about Cures or Status magic's. I'm talking about refining, junctioning and multi-casts...high-level stuff."

He had gathered her attention, finally, and straightened up a little, beginning his descriptions of the differing magic's and how you used your own paramagical senses – or 'Wa', as Zell called them – to determine what magic was what. Making sure he dumbed it down – for that was the only way they could _both_ understand – and sketching on a small pad to point out the magic's evolutionary tree, he showed her what he had learned in a good decade in only two hours. He finally stopped talking and smiled. "Okay. You remember how to Draw magic, right?"

Trish nodded, feeling slightly weary from the constant barrage of information that had been handed to her. "Yes…I think."

"Right. Now, concentrate on me. Focus all your 'Wa' onto me. You should feel several different magic's within me."

Trish narrowed her eyes, and Zell watched as they began to glow blue. "No! Focus on me, not on you!" he said sternly.

Trish blinked and began to concentrate once more, concerning herself with only the things outside of her own paramagical field. Even she was able to sense her own power, and she had grown so accustomed to it that she needed to really focus all her energies into _not_ focusing on it in order to feel Zell's aura.

It was like seeing a tiny flame in the dark, except Trish didn't use her eyes to see it – she used her mind. Zells face broadened into a smile as he watched her face light up in amazement. "Yeah…there you go…"

"Gods…what is this…" Trish gasped, feeling the aura grow stronger and stronger.

"Wow…you're really going good. It must be because of the teleport technique you use all the time. You're all ready to draw and cast magic – you just gotta use that power outward, not inward like you've been doing so far."

Trish reached out with a hand suddenly, Zell blinking as he felt something within him disappear. "Hey! I didn't tell you to do that yet!!" He said, his tone annoyed yet pleased at the same time.

Trish looked down at her outstretched hand – before narrowing her eyes. For a few seconds nothing happened, Trish having to concentrate even more – before a tiny spark suddenly shot out of her hand.

She jumped in surprise, closing her hand involuntarily and drawing it back into her body – before Zell grabbed it firmly. "Hey, don't be afraid. You can't be hurt by it. Well…not unless you shoot yourself…" He stood suddenly. "Look, just watch me."

He walked a few meters away from where they had been sitting and pointed at the ground, his hand open. A small shard of ice suddenly shot out of his hand, slamming into the ground like a nail being shot out of a nail gun. Pointing just to the left of the shard, Zell closed his hand into a fist, pointing a finger at the ground to unleash a small Thunder, the electricity slashing across the rocks and leaving tiny scorch marks in the dirt. Finally, Zell pointed at the iceblock itself, a small line of flame drilling a neat hole through the ice itself to leave a red-hot smoking hole in the ground.

"Very nice, Hunter." Emily said with a smirk, walking up behind the two of them. "But I think you ought to be teaching her the less subtle parts of the lessons…as in letting her play with _real _fire instead of that low-level crap you call 'magic'."

Zell lowered his hand, frowning at Emily as she moved up to him. "She's only just gotten to drawing magic. Yeah, I'll admit she's gotten pretty far in the last few minutes – but she's nowhere near ready for something as powerful as that. It'll eat her up inside."

Emily scoffed his words and waved her hand at him dismissively. "Bullshit. She's ready…all she needs is a little 'push'." Walking over to the little cluster of Draw Points, Emily pointed down at one. "Hey, use this one."

Zell moved in front of the Draw Point. "No way, that's a Flare. The power is too much for her."

"Oh come on, Zell." Trish said, standing up and walking over to the little Draw Point. "I've gotten this far in so little time. Let me try it."

Zell looked at her, chewing on his bottom lip. _What would Squall do?_ He thought to himself…before shrugging. "Fine. If you think you can handle it. But if anything goes wrong, I'm pulling it all from you as quickly as I can, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Trish said, pushing past him and walking up to the paramagic fountain confidently.

Zell took a step back, allowing her some room. Keeping his eye on her, he kept his hands open, making sure he had an open connection to her at all time. Emily walked up behind him and gave him a pat on the ass, making him start with surprise. "C'mon Hunter, relax." She purred, the humour obvious in her voice. "She'll be able to handle it. She might even like it."

Zell shot her a look, not wanting to take his eyes off Trish for too long. "If anything does go wrong, you'll be held fully responsible." He said, his tone deadly serious.

Emily snorted and shook her head, before taking a step back herself.

Trish stepped up to the Draw Point, taking a deep breath before holding her hand out. She felt the magic almost immediately, and felt the warmth of it radiating from the paramagical fountain. Smiling confidently, she reached out with her aura, drawing the power into her body, allowing it to seep into her mind and take a place within her brain.

Almost immediately she felt strange, the heat radiating from the Draw Point sudden seeming to magnify ten-fold, the heat almost unbearable as she stumbled away with a cry. It felt like her head was swelling, her mind not able to contain such awesome power as she drew more and more in, the tiny magical bubbles coming up from the ground beginning to dwindle to a few as she sucked the fountain dry, the draw point finally disappearing completely.

Zell stepped forward as Trish fell onto the ground, falling on her butt with a thump. "Are you okay?" He asked, moving forward and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Its…it's so hot…" She whispered, her body trembling with the power contained within her.

Zell stared at her for a second – before standing, holding his hand out toward her. "It's too much. I'm drawing some off you." Before he could make a move, however, he felt his muscles atrophy, his bones suddenly becoming steel rods as he became as still as stone. _What…what the?! _He screamed with his mind.

Emily walked into his vision, smiling prettily at him. "I should say I'm sorry, Hunter – but I'm not." She said with a shrug, before moving over to Trish, crouching down before her. "Okay, now that you've drawn the magic, you've got to cast it. Only then will you fully be able to withstand it."

Trish looked up at Emily, the fear obvious in her eyes. "I…I don't know…if I can…"

There was no softness in Emily's voice as she spoke, the tones commanding and gruff as she pulled the thief roughly to her feet. "Of course you can. If you can draw it, you can cast it. Now, concentrate."

"I…I…"

The sound of Emily's slap rang out over the range as Trish's head snapped back. "Do it now!!" Emily screamed.

The physical push was all Trish needed. Her anger at Emily suddenly grew into a full blown rage, and almost subconsciously she placed both palms together like she had seen the other do, threw her hands out and fired, the Flare concentrated and fired in less time then an amateur would usually accomplish the difficult task it. It blew out of her hands like a shell being blown from a massive cannon, the size of the beam dwarfing Trish almost instantly.

Emily had jumped back to allow for some room – before _catching _the super-hot magic in her hands, the power of the blast causing her to skid on her feet across the ground with the sheer weight of it…before she pushed it up and out into the sky, the Flare screaming up into the higher parts of the atmosphere…before exploding brilliantly, lighting up the night sky with red fire.

Trish lowered her hands, her breath laboured, her eyes wide as she looked up at the gigantic fireball in the sky. "I…I did that?" she whispered.

"You have some promise yet, girl." Emily muttered, blowing on her palms as she Cura she cast on them healed the burnt skin. "That'll do for now." She said in a teacher's tone, before walking past Zell and back to where the others had been.

Julius ran up past Emily, looking from the frozen Zell to the obviously distraught Trish, before looking back at Emily. "Hey! What the hell did you do?!"

There was no answer as Emily walked out of earshot.

*          *            *  
Zell was finally able to move again, and the first thing he did was slam his fist into the ground, in rage unmeasurable. "Dammit!! Who the hell does she think she is?" He growled. "I have good mind to Silence her for the rest of the damn mission!!"

Trish was still on the ground, not listening as she stared at her hands, still not believing the power that had emitted from them.

Julius placed a hand on Zell's shoulder. "Zell…that blast would be easily seen for miles around. I think we ought to get a move on."

Zell was grinding his teeth in anger. _Dammit! How can she just play with our lives like that? What would have happened if she hadn't been able to deflect it? What if Trish had mis-cast it? And how dare she do that to me! I knew it was a bad idea to bring her along, she spells nothing but trouble!!_

"Zell!!"

"What?!" Zell spat at Julius, looking up at the hacker suddenly, the rage evident in his eyes.

"Calm down, man." Julius said carefully, concern in his voice. "I'm not your enemy."

Zell blinked, before looking down at his hands, watching as they clenched and unclenched. "I know, man…but I'm not so sure of Emily right now…she has a twisted mind, and I don't need a wildcard in the team right now."

"Look, as long as she keeps to herself, you don't have to worry about her, okay?" Julius said…before seeing Zell shake his head.

"No…she likes mind games. You've read the Tournament files; your hack records show that. I should have never allowed her on the team. I should have done something…"

"Zell…"

Both men turned to Trish as she waked up to him. "Zell…I'm fine. I…I feel great, actually. I'm not hurt, nobody's hurt. Its just…school of hard knocks, you know?" 

_How else was I going to learn in such a short time? _He interpreted. Zell sighed loudly, seeing the look in her eyes, before standing up straight. "…Fine. As long as you're okay."

"I am."

"Right. Lets get going then."

*          *            *

"What the hell happened?!" Squall yelled as Emily sauntered back into camp.

The Goth simply shrugged and walked over to her pack, sitting down far from the middle of the group.

Zell, Trish and Julius returned a few minutes after, each moving to their pack and packing quickly. "C'mon, we gotta get a move on." Zell said to Squall, who was looking very confused.

"Can somebody tell me what happened?" He said sullenly as he began to stuff his blanket into his pack before snuffing the fire in the middle of the camp out with a quick Blizzard.

"No." Emily said unemotionally, before setting out in the same direction that they had been taking the whole time – north.

Squall pressed his teeth together, a sudden feeling of annoyance coming over him – before looking down to the still asleep Rinoa. Shaking his head and sighing, he picked her up and began to follow the others.

*          *            *

Beginning to get a foreboding feeling as the city began to come up on the horizon, Trish walked up behind Zell and tugged at his sleeve. "Uh, Zell…are you sure about this?"

Zell continued to walk forward, Trish unable to see his face in the darkness. "We have no choice. We can't locate the Arch's by ourselves yet – we need to start from somewhere, and a civilised location is the best bet so far."

"But…what if they aren't friendly?"

Zell didn't reply for a second, his head turning to look at the ground…before looking up. "Then we move on and find a place that is friendly."

"Oh…okay…" Trish murmured, falling back to walk beside Julius once more. Her head turned to the ground ounce more as she hefted the pack around on her back, trying to find a comfortable position for it.

"Let the straps around your waist rest on your hips," Julius said suddenly, breaking the silence, "And tighten the shoulder straps a little. It'll feel less foreign that way."

Trish gave him a small smile and did what he told, but knew that he wouldn't be able to see it in the darkness. "Um…thanks…it does feel better now…" She murmured, falling back into brooding mode as her pack finally stopped digging into her sides.

"Do you want to tell me what happened back there then?" Julius asked, Trish looking up to just see his glasses reflecting the stars in the sky as they looked down at her.

"Um…no…"

"I see…"

They walked on for a little while longer in silence. Emily had somehow managed to take point, and they followed her, Zell staying a moderate distance away from her, Trish and Julius in the middle, with Squall carrying the sleeping Rinoa in his arms taking up the rear. Zell had asked wether Squall had wanted to give Rinoa to him to allow him to have a rest, but Squall had politely declined, saying that the Regen he had cast on himself was melting away the fatigue.

Trish was beginning to hate the silence as they walked, the only sounds being their breathing, the sound of boots crunching on the rocky ground, and the chink of their packs as clips knocked gently against Orihalcon. "So…" Trish said quietly to Julius, almost as if she was afraid to break the silence. "Did you find out anything? About…you know?"

She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw Julius smile. "No. The Te'Get's technology is too primitive to help me…and though I had an inkling that there might've been something useful in all those ancient tablets and manuscripts, I didn't have enough time to decipher them all, even with Ten'Kal's notes."

Trish nodded. "It's very noble, what you do for her."

Julius nodded too, his words sad when he spoke. "My old SeeD friends always said I had an overlarge sense of loyalty…heh, Veronica always called it stubbornness." Julius' frame suddenly turned to look up at the stars, his glasses reflecting the starlight perfectly. "I'm not so sure about it anymore. I've been doing this for a good four or five years…and now it's all I know. I've done _everything_ to accomplish what I've achieved so far, which wasn't very much…and sometimes I think the prices I've paid were way too dear."

"You were doing what you thought was right." Squall said suddenly, making Trish jump as she realised that he was right behind them. She had been so wrapped in the hacker's words that she had forgotten of the others. "You needn't worry about that. We all have our choices."

"Yes…" Julius murmured. "But were my choices really the right ones?"

"Obviously some weren't…but that's the price some pay for love." Squall said, his deadly serious voice seeming to have an even more serious edge to it. "What happened to Veronica should have never happened…and I think you're as much entitled to a second opinion as I was."

Trish blinked, looking at the silhouette of Squall with the supine form of Rinoa in his arms, before hearing a sound of recognition in Julius' voice. "Ah…your little space walk. So you understand what I feel."

"Obviously."

"Then tell me this – would you do anything for her? Anything at all? Including betraying the people you have worked with for your entire life?"

Squall was suddenly silent, his face unreadable in the darkness as he pondered the question.

The break in the conversation was filled with a sound from the distance, the sound distinctly mechanical, like that of cars. Rumbling loudly, the cars finally slowed to a stop about fifty or so yards from the SeeDs, before the engines cut out and the people within the cars piled out. Then a new sound rand out - the sound of a voice as it called out over the plains. "Heeeey!!" From the cars on the horizon came the silhouettes of a group of people, their sizes and shapes varying. In the darkness, however, the SeeDs were unable to make out who they were.

Emily slowed to a stop. "Showtime." She muttered, tightening her gloves.

Zell stepped forward. "Lets just see what they want. I think they knew we were coming anyways – we need them to know we come in peace."

Emily snorted in contempt. "You're the 'leader', Hunter."

Zell chose not to answer, walking past the woman to make the first move. He walked forward slowly, holding his hands out. "Hey there." He said clearly.

A few of the group – Zell saw it was a big one – peeled off and walked up to him, two men and a woman. The woman walked forward to poke Zell in the chest. "What the hell are you doing in this region, punk? And taking our magic as well. Who the hell do you think you are?" Her voice was throaty and course, like she drank sand for breakfast, and Zell felt the power in the poke as she jabbed her finger into his sternum.

Zell gulped. _Not exactly a warm reception…_ "Uh…we're not exactly from around here. Could we stay in an inn at your town until we figure out our bearings?"

As the woman thought about his words, one of the men walked up behind her. "Where you guys from, anyways?" He asked, his voice soft yet deep.

_Shit…do I tell the truth, or not?_ "Um…from the south?"

The woman snorted then. "Southerners…typical. You think you can just come along and take our magic? You know the rules of seizing land."

Zell did a double take, frowning in the dark. "S-Seizing land? We don't wanna do that! We're just travelling, that's all!!"

"He's lying, Dianna!" The second man suddenly said, the man's voice as weaselly as they came. "They're spies from the south! I say we take em out right now!!"

Dianna turned suddenly and slapped the second man across the cheek, the sound of the man's jaw breaking obvious in the open area. "Shut up, Row!! I'm leader, and I say what to do!"

"Yeth, mu'um…" Row said painfully, picking himself up and fingering the broken bone…before healing himself with a Curaga, the green light flooding out as it course through his body.

The light lit everything around it in it's green glow, and Zell saw the face of Dianna, trying not to stare. _She…she looks like…Angel…_

Angel's soft cheekbones, the brown ponytail, her soft brown eyes…it was all the features of the young librarian. Zell could even tell it was her from the stance she held – leisurely yet ready for anything. Her personality, however, was completely changed. This Angel – Dianna? – was as rough as guts and probably twice as mean.

No only that, but heavy scarring covered her body from what Zell could see. She was dressed in battle-torn clothes, the shirt she wore tied tight at her torso to cover her chest, revealing her scarred stomach. _It…it is her! Right down to her birthmark on her side…my gods…_

Dianna seemed to be staring at him also, her eyes travelling over his face and body as he finally tore his from hers. "I-I'm sorry!" He said abruptly, suddenly ashamed at staring.

She narrowed her eyes as he apologised, frowning as he looked down at the ground, the green light finally fading from Row's body. "What's your name, boy?" she asked, her voice suddenly sinister.

Zell blinked. "Zell…" He said – before finally recognising the look in her eyes, the sound of her tone.

_Triumph._

Dianna suddenly turned to her group screaming shrilly. "It's the SeeDs!! Capture them!!"

"Shit!!" Zell yelled, throwing his hand out to blast Row in the chest with a Firaga, the attack catching the man completely by surprise as the fire lit up his face to show the shock of his face as his guts turned to charred flesh. Throwing his head back, Zell screamed at the others – "Hearts!!" – before the man with the soft voice tackled him to the ground, Zell falling on his pack painfully.

The two groups suddenly charged each other, Squall's LionHeart cutting through the darkness to slash straight through several of them, arms, legs and heads flying in all directions as the gunblader cut a bloody swathe through them. Julius stepped forward to grab one by the face and toss him back into a pair of Warriors, the bodies falling to the floor in an unkempt heap.

Emily smashed her fist into the face of one as he ran up, knocking him to the ground – before reducing him to ash with a Firaga to the face, his screams disappearing with his remains as he was cremated on the spot. Turning suddenly as she blew smoke from her palm she whipped her foot across the faces of three men, their bodies spinning through the air – to stop in mid air. Emily's smile was unseeable in the darkness – but her bright blue eyes were as the three men suddenly flew straight up – to smash straight down into the ground, the sounds of breaking bones and pulping bodies like music to the Goth's ears.

Squall's dance of havoc was having an effect on their attackers, his blade sizzling with the sound of blood evaporating on the energy blade – before it was arrested by a man's hand, the man catching the blade expertly with one hand. Squall grimaced, trying to push the blade up – before the man reached back slowly and let fly, the punch connecting with the gunblader's face and sending him careening into the distance.

"Squall!!" Zell yelled, watching as he tried to push up on the man pinning him down. He grunted, pushing and pulling with all him might, but unable to budge.

The man on top of the SeeD laughed out loud. "Welcome to the Crisp planet. We thrive on battle. You're puny strength is nothing compare to mine. For instance, I can do this…" He growled, suddenly grabbing Zell's arms and flipping the SeeD over onto his belly like a child, before pulling the arms back at an awkwardly, bending them unnaturally. Zell screamed out loud as his arms threatened to snap, the bones creaking in ways they weren't suppose to.

Julius looked over to the fist fighter and ran to help – before being stopped by a small woman standing in his way. Looking down a the woman, Julius suddenly slammed a fist into her stomach, lifting her up off the ground and _ramming_ her back down into it, the rocks crumbling around her. In the darkness he couldn't see her expression – but he could hear her laughter as she suddenly kicked out, the foot connecting with his stomach – to send him flying up into the air. Reaching the zenith of his flight, he began to careen back to earth – to be kicked up into the air once more, the woman's laughter pealing out as the hacker flew up once more.

Emily watched it all – before throwing her hand out, the woman attacking Julius suddenly encased in a round block of ice as the Blizaga formed around her almost immediately. Walking forward, she span suddenly, blocking the first three attacks – before being kicked in the stomach, the attack sending her flying into Julius's path, the two of them crashing to the ground, Julius landing atop Emily to crush her beneath him.

Zell's screams were reaching a crescendo as his attacker continued to bend his body, the muscles in his shoulders and back threatening to tear unless something wasn't done. Looking up in pain, Zell saw the unconscious bodies of Julius and Emily as the enemy advanced on them, and realised that nobody was there to protect them. _No! You're better then this!!_ Something screamed within him, and reaching deep within, Zell began to fight back, turning his screams into grunts of effort.

The man straddling him gasped as the arms he was bending back previously began to slowly move down, the man's efforts to restrain them going unfelt as Zell's hand suddenly reached the ground – and Zell threw his head back, the top of his skull hitting the man square in the face, the sound of a nose cracking like music to Zell's ears.

Trish stood beside Rinoa's body, watching it all unfold as she remembered Squall's words as he had pulled her aside – "Protect her!" – before throwing himself into the fray like a madman. To tell the truth, she was grateful – she didn't really favour the idea of jumping straight into battle with these fellows. Then she three men were running for her, the warriors dodging the SeeD's attacks to make a beeline towards her.

The first thought was of teleporting away – but then she remembered the body of Rinoa lying behind her, and saw the way that they others were getting beaten. _Aren't you awake yet?_ She thought desperately as she held her hands out, concentrating desperately – to fire the Flare, the flames searing forth, bathing the entire area before her in light and flame, throwing her back with the kick of the blast.

The SeeDs sensed it before it was cast, and Emily and Julius were suddenly awake, instinctively surrounded by red bubbles as they threw themselves from the blast. 

Squall stood from where he had lay, standing on wobbling feet to look up at the magic – and smile as the Flare bore down on him, enveloping him in fire!!

"Squall!!" Zell cried – before the Flare washed over him, blowing the man on top of him clean off and away, the super-concentrated blast passing right over Zell's body.

Trish finally cut the Flare off, blowing on her palms desperately as if they were on fire themselves, and landed on the ground to skittle away into the distance.

Zell flipped up onto his feet, rotating his arms painfully to get circulation going again – to see Squall standing, his clothes smoking slightly, but unharmed nevertheless. _Oh, I see – he's put his Fire defences up so he can absorb the energy._ Zell thought to himself.

As if to prove the point, Squall turned suddenly – to scream up to the remaining Hearts, his blade tracing through the air in a long, swerving pattern as the sound of slicing and dicing bodies cut by a sizzling blue energy blade filled the dark air.

Finally the sounds died down to be replaced by the choked death-rattles of the dying and whimpers of the wounded, Squall's blue sword pattern finally fading away to nothingness. Zell watched as Squall walked up to him, the LionHeart shimmering in the darkness surrounding them the only thing signifying his approach. "That was a bit scary…" He said quietly.

"Yeah…" Zell agreed, falling down and sitting on the ground tiredly, feeling adrenaline begin to wash out of him. "But…now that it's over, I'm not so sure that they're Hearts after all."

"But they knew we were SeeDs." Julius said, walking up behind them, his hand holding his side where the woman had broken a few ribs. "That girl knew who you were."

Zell nodded, not wanting to tell them it was Angel – before looking up. "Wait! Where did she go?"

Squall grimaced in the light of his gunblade. "She escaped, along with quite a few of them, when I made that last attack. They'll no doubt warn their superiors."

Zell nodded again, surprised to feel a little grateful that he hadn't recognised her as Angel. "So, what should we do?" he asked.

Squall shrugged in the starlight. "How should I know? You're the leader." He tapped the LionHeart on his shoulder, thinking for a second. "Although if I were you, I'd say we continue to the city and take our chances. They didn't know who we were until they got a close up look at your face. I think we might be able to hide away in the city until light comes, then come up with a plan then."

Zell laughed slightly. _Do this, Dincht. It's what I'd do._ "Okay, good plan."

"Guys…" Trish suddenly called, and the men turned to see both her and Emily crouched next to a body. "This dude is still alive."

The SeeDs crowded around the man, his silhouette trembling slightly in the darkness. "Somebody get some light going, huh?" Zell asked

Squall obliged, holding his hand out and allowing a small Fire to burst into life in his palm, holding the light to the man's face – before stepping back suddenly. "Gods…we know this man…"

The face of Grey looked up at them, blood covering his face from the numerous cuts bestowed on him by Squall. His raven-dark hair had been cut short compared to it's length in the Tournament – but Zell recognised the ash-like eyes, the dead eyes spewing contempt to the world. He gulped like a fish out of water, blood dribbling out of his mouth when he coughed suddenly. "I'll…I'll tell you…nothing…" He spat weakly.

"Oh, I think you're going to tell us everything…" Emily said icily, seemingly unfazed by the appearance of the man she had used as a red herring during the Tournament.

"N…Nothing, damn you!!"

Zell blinked, getting over the initial shock. "Well, he's as stubborn as he usually was." He muttered, before leaning forward, speaking quietly. "Hey dude. You're dying, you know that? I'll make you a deal. You tell us what we need to know, and we'll heal you up and let you live. What do you reckon?"

"Damn you and your soft heart, Dincht!!" Emily spat. "What can we achieve with that?!"

"Shut up!!" Zell growled suddenly. "He deserves to live as much as anybody!!"

"I…don't want your help, you bastards!!" Grey growled, his voice full of determination as blood began to trickle out of his nose slowly.

Squall shook his head. "This is getting us nowhere. He's obviously not going to tell us anything.  Lets go."

Trish stood up then, her arms rigid by her sides. "Whoa whoa whoa…are you saying we just walk away with him like this? What kind of people are you?!"

"We're SeeDs. Mercenaries. If he doesn't want to cooperate, then it's his prerogative to die." Julius murmured.

"You…you heartless bastards!!" Trish exclaimed in a whisper, her voice incredulous.

"No…we just do what we have to complete the mission." Squall muttered, chewing on his bottom lip…before turning to Zell. "Heal him up, then send him to sleep. We'll just have to deal with the consequences later."

"Like hell we will…" Emily muttered, bending down and kissing Grey square on the lips!!

Trish took a step back as the Goth pashed the dying man with a passion, her face twisting in disgust. "Oh my gods! What are you doing?!"

Emily finally withdrew her face, wiping the blood from her cheeks with the back of her hand. "Getting information." She said, licking her lips clean of his blood as her glowing blue eyes died down to their regular icy stare. "Now then…" She purred, addressing the man. "What's your name?"

The man's eyes had become blank, and he found no trouble in talking now. "My name is Bloc."

"My gods…" Zell whispered. "I recognise this…"

"Yes. It's the same Blue as what I cast on your friend Irvine." Emily said with a smirk, before looking down at the dying Bloc. "Now then, Bloc, how did you know who we were?"

"We were told by our war marshal, when he came through the Tidus for his inspection of the planet. All Heart soldiers know your names and your faces." Was the monotone reply.

Zell narrowed his eyes. "Ask him if he knows who the war marshal is."

"Who's the war marshal, Bloc?"

Bloc frowned slightly, the blankness in his face giving way to slight confusion. "I…I don't know that answer. He's always wearing his Orihalcon armour. It covers his face."

"Hmph…" Zell grunted, sitting back on his haunches.

"This is gross…I'm going back to Rinoa…" Trish said, not being able to stand watching the dying man speak any longer, turning and staggering back towards the sleeping Sorceress.

"What do you do here on this planet, Bloc?" Emily asked, since everybody else was silent.

"This planet is the planet Crisp." Bloc said, gulping back some blood before continuing. "We are the backbone of the Heart Army. We worship only two gods – Our Queen the Sorceress, and the God of War. We fight - that is what we are good at. We have fought each other for centuries, and have fought many battles for our Queen for the last five years. We kill our enemies. It is surprising that we were defeated by him…" The dying man muttered, turning his cold blank eyes to Squall. "His power is considerably less then ours, even though we were unprepared for battle."

"Well, that explains the condition of the planet…" Julius muttered. "The battles raged here must've been very great, considering the power of these guys…"

"Yeah. It took everything I had to defend myself, let alone attack." Zell muttered, rubbing his chin…before looking up at Emily. "As him where this 'Sorceress Queen' is…ask him if there is a back door to her world."

"Where's the Sorceress Queen, Bloc? How can we reach her without having to fight the entire Heart Army?"

Bloc blinked, his words beginning to slur. "The…the Queen is two worlds away from this one…one of technological advancements…controlled by women…and one with people so…divided…they cannot live with each other…that is all I know…"

"Does the Queen control these worlds yet?"

"…No…the first have defences we cannot penetrate…the second is of no value…"

"Then why tell us this?" Zell asked.

"Because…that is the only way you'll be able to…get to her world…without going through the main Tidus…"

Squall stood back, his scarred face screwed up with thought. "Potential allies?"

"Duh." Zell said. "Anybody who can survive these dudes should be on our side." He looked at them all. "Can we think of anything else to ask him?"

All the SeeDs looked down, thinking of what to ask. Zell couldn't think of anything – besides the Alternate Angel, Dianna. _I wonder what she's like in this world?_

Suddenly he felt very lonely. Shaking his head, he stood quickly, dusting himself off. "Uh, right, well, if nobody else has anything else to ask him, we'll patch him up and move on."

Emily snorted. "No can do, Hunter. That may have been my Slave spell – but he was a tough nut to crack. I had to kiss him to make the magic work. And you know what happens when these lips touch another…right?"

A feeling of dread washed over Zell, and he clenched his fists tight, the adamantine/Orihalcon hybrid covering his fists creaking with the strength. "Damn you…"

"Oh, c'mon. He's not in any pain anymore." Emily said, waving her hand at him. "He wont even care when it happens."

Zell shook his head. "He deserved another chance. Warriors honour, if anything."

Emily snorted and stood. "You and your weak ideals…you're just as bad as them, only you don't know it." Her bit said, she turned and walked away, shouting over her shoulder. "Remember, Zell – this is a different world. We're not in Gaia anymore."

Zell's fists were trembling, and he pushed the anger away, burying it deep into his mind. "Fuck!" He spat, looking down at the dying body of Bloc, Grey's features looking up at him dully in the flickering Fire-light. He sighed, before gesturing to the others. "C'mon…lets leave him to himself for his last few minutes…"

The SeeDs got up and moved away, walking back to where Emily and Trish sat. Zell watched as Emily picked up her pack from where she had dropped it and moved away from the group once more, sitting down just where the bodies began to start and pulling some Te'Getian fruit from her pack. Biting down on it, she looked up at the stars.

Zell shook his head and looked at Squall. "What should we do with her, man? She's a loose cannon – she'll get one of us killed."

"Maybe…" Squall said. "…But it's like Commander Carpenter said. Her Blue magic's are ones that we cannot go without. Now we have a general idea of the enemy, information we couldn't have gotten without her. I'll admit, she does seem a little…crazy. But she hasn't threatened anybody yet, and I have no reason to suspect her doing so in the future."

"I do." Zell muttered, stealing a glance at the Goth as she continued to eat her fruit. "You don't know her, dude. I do. I've seen what she's really like. And I reckon that, if she was given the chance and that it helped her, she'd abandon us without a second glance."

Squall shook his head. "You're being paranoid, Zell. Remember what I said about trust?"

Zell sighed irritably, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Fine. But if she ever does anything like that again, I'm gonna Silence her and carry her all the way back to Gaia if I have to."

"Whatever." Squall muttered, walking over to Rinoa and sitting down next to her.

Zell shook his head and sat down next to Julius – before hearing two wet popping noises in the distance.

"What the hell was that?" Trish exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

Zell shook his head. "Nothing…it was nothing, Trish…"

*          *            *

After the SeeDs had gotten a bit of rest, they continued north, the city on the horizon like a beacon to them. The night was finally beginning to die away, the sun coming up to their east like a burning fireball. Unlike Te'Get, however, the sun warmed them cheerily, it's heat like one from a gentle fire. Not wanting to be burned, however, they stopped for a second to make covers from their blankets, wrapping the long green martial around them like cloaks to block out the suns rays.

The landscape was finally recognisable, and as the SeeDs prepared to move once more they were slightly astonished to see that it was an off-green colour. "What do you think it is?" Trish asked Julius as they kept walking.

"I don't know…my readings show a high metal content in the ground, but was unable to determine which metal."

"Orihalcon?" Squall asked, still carrying Rinoa in his arms.

"No. The computer says it's a mixture – but there's no Orihalcon."

They continued in silence, finally reaching the city just as the sun was released from the horizon's grip. The city was surrounded by a sheer wall that went on forever, the wall seeming to be made of the same green substance as the ground was. A large metal gate was situated nearby to where the SeeDs had come from, and they walked over to it.

Zell had discussed this just before they walked within looking distance of the city. "Okay guys, remember the plan. We're wandering fighters looking for a resting place."

Trish frowned, her pretty blue eyes peeking out from the hood of her cloak. "But…that's what we're doing anyways, right?"

Zell rolled his eyes and sighed. "Just be quiet. I'll do the talking."

So they walked up to the gate. Along the edge of the wall, just where the escarpment was, were several guard holes, and Zell spotted several rifles being pushing out of the holes and trained on the group as they walked up to the guard station. _Scared, huh?_ He thought to himself as they walked up to the guard.

"What do you want?" The man said gruffly. He was dressed in a navy-blue guards uniform, and had a firearm strapped to his waist. He had a good foot on Zell, and looked down at him with mixture of contempt and boredom.

"We wanna go in." Zell said, making sure to make his voice sound equally gruff. "You got a problem with that?"

"You wanna show me some ID?"

Zell reached into his back pocket, withdrawing the card from his pocket. Thanks to a quick search of the remains of the Crisps they had fought, the team had managed to procure some identification. A quick zap though the computer Julius carried, place the information into their SeeD 'Interchangeable ID' cards, and suddenly they became Crispians, right down to the place of birth.

The guard looked down at the card, before looking up at Zell, Zell's face slightly obscured by his hood. "Got a bit windy out in the Plains, huh?" The guard muttered suspiciously.

"Why do you care?" Zell grunted. "Are you gonna let us in, or what?"

The guard looked at Zell for a second more…before handing the card back and pressing a buzzer on the side of his booth. "Okay, you talk the talk. Rules are – no wanton destruction or magic allowed. Curfew at two a.m. – make sure you're indoors then, otherwise I'll give you another hole to breath out of."

"Whatever." Zell said dismissively, walking past the guard and through the rising gate.

Trish walked up to Zell, falling in line beside him. "That went well." She whispered.

"We can relax when we find a safe place to hide." Zell muttered. "Until then, don't stray far."

Now within the city, the SeeDs saw that the place was as heavily built as Galbadia – only more run down, more desolate. The buildings were cracked and full of bullet holes, the ground stained with large red marks that could only be described as bloodstains. Since it was early in the morning, there weren't many people about – but they ignored the SeeDs mostly, pushing past them as if they had something important to do.

The people looked dressed more or less like the SeeDs – many of them more the same kind of clothes, and many others wore long cloaks to keep the sun out. The only difference was that the people were more aggressive then the usual Galbadian or Estharian. Zell watched as a man bumped into another – and a fight broke out, resulting in one man flying into a wall, the wall crumbling beneath him before the first man stepped forward and put his fist through the man's face. The first man now dead, the second took his wallet and boots – before moving on.

Nobody even tried to stop him.

"The sooner we get inside, the better." Trish whispered, making sure she was close to Julius and Zell.

"Hey, pal!" A man suddenly said, walking up to the gunblader and pointing down at the sleeping Rinoa wrapped in a blanket in his arms. "Looks like you got a good catch there! Wanna share her for a bit of cash?"

"No." Squall said, his voice dripping with malice. He made to move past the man…before a hand on the shoulder stopped him.

"How about this, then, pal. I take the girl – and you get to live. What about that proposal?"

Zell stopped the party and turned around, walking up to the man. "Got a problem, mate?" he said gruffly.

The man looked down at the shorter fighter. "You own this slave?" he said, cocking his thumb at Squall.

Zell blinked, slightly surprise – before nodding. "Yeah. So what?"

"I'll buy em both off ya for fifty thousand gil."

"They aren't for sale, bub."

The man was beginning to get agitated. "Fine then. Maybe I ought to just beat some sense into _you_. Then will you give them to me, you dumb fuck?"

Before the man could say anything else, Zell stepped forward and launched an uppercut into the man's chin, the man flipping up into the air to land on the ground, a sickening crack erupting from his head as he landed on his face. He began to scream, his face dripping red – before Julius kicked out, the man crashing into the nearest wall and falling to the floor, unconscious.

Zell made to move on – before stopping. Turning around, he bent over to rummage through the man's pockets. It was only then that the people surrounding them began to move on, the argument resolved like most arguments in this world – with somebody knocked out or dead and robbed.

Zell found a wallet and a pair of keys, as well as a wad of cash. Flipping the wallet open, he checked the address before looking down at the keys in his hands. "Hmmm…house keys." He muttered, looking up at the team. "I think we've just found our place to stay."

*          *            *

_Whee!! It's starting to go now!! Isn't Emily evil! Can't wait to see put her to really good use!!_

_I hope I did all that Draw stuff right. I haven't actually played FF8 in a while…I'm playing it all by ear now. Well, look forward for the next few chapters – I'm really going to throw a wench in the works soon (about four or five chapters away, so keep reading!!)_

_Remember, reviews make me feel all warm and fuzzy, so keep doing it. It'll make me write more!_


	12. Tournament Revisited

Ch 12 – Tournament Revisited

It wasn't that hard to find the house that the man had owned. All they really had to do was follow the street signs.

Julius was looking up at a crossroads sign, hefting Veronica on his back to shift the weight around, when a man walked past him.

Julius reached over, tapping the man on the shoulder. "Hey, can you tell me where Ge'at road is?" He asked.

"How the hell should I know?" The man spat, turning roughly and walking away to disappear into the morning crowd.

"Great people…" Julius muttered, turning around to see Zell walk up to him and hand him a thing on a stick. Whatever it was, it was deep-fried and had at least three legs sticking out of it. "What the hell is this?" He asked, pulling one of the legs off the carcass.

"I don't know…but the vendor muttered something about it being the cheapest thing they had, so I got some." Zell mumbled, picking at the fried animal as well with distaste. Although they still had plenty of supplies from the Te'Gets, until they could get out of the open they couldn't eat any of it, so they had to do with the planet's natural foods.

Squall brushed past them, Rinoa still in his arms after walking through half the city, to look over the crowd. "We'd better find this place soon, Zell. This place is getting crowded, and not knowing the customs as we do, we'll be stopped for sure."

Zell nodded, chewing thoughtfully on the thing-on-a-stick. "Alright, alright…"

Thinking for a second, he passed the food over to Julius, before walking up to the closest person nearest to them. Grabbing the man by the shirtfront, he lifted him up off the ground and slammed him into a wall. "Hey buddy…" Zell growled in his best macho voice. "Tell me where this place is or I'll rip your tonsils out and whip you to death with them."

The man rolled his eyes, unperturbed. "C'mon. My grandmother could come up with better insults then that."

Zell then quickly squeezed the man's jaw, the bone popping out of joint easily, and reached into the man's mouth. By the way the man thrashed and his eyes began to bulge out of their sockets Zell recognised that he had gotten his attention.

After placing him back on the ground and helping him with his jaw, the man, trembling with fear, pointed out the street to go down, before escaping as if he had Diablo chasing after him.

Zell walked back to the group, Squall looking at him with a more deadpan expression then usual. "you do know what 'low profile' means, don't you?" He muttered.

"Of course."

"Just checking…"

*          *            *

The key slipping into the apartment lock easily, and Zell opened the door slowly, looking about the roof carefully as he checked for anybody else in the general area. When he found nobody throughout the medium-sized apartment, he waved the rest of the SeeDs through, before shutting the door and barring it shut with a coffee table he grabbed from the living room, jamming the table in-between the inch-thick door and the carpeted ground.

The apartment could house ten people easily, with two bedrooms and bathrooms, a laundry, kitchen, living room and den. The furniture looked like it had seen better days, bullet holes and deep lacerations covering most of them. Not bothering to go and check the rest of the room for anybody hiding in a closet or under a bed, Zell flopped himself onto a couch after ripping his pack and cloak off and tossing them into a corner of the room. "Gods it's good to sit on something soft for once…" He muttered. "That was the one thing I hated about Te'Get. Everything was hard – beds, chairs, everything."

"I suppose these people find their luxuries where they can." Julius said, also gratefully sinking into an armchair after pacing Veronica next to it with his pack. "They seem to be in constant battle mode."

Trish nodded. "Too true…I saw at least three fights break out as we made our way here…and what was that crack about Squall being a slave? If you say I'm your slave too, Zell, I'm so going to slap you."

Squall hadn't said anything, simply walking out of the living room to find a place for Rinoa. Emily simply dumped her pack onto the floor and moved away into another place of the apartment.

"Don't worry about that." Zell said with a grin. "If someone asks, you can be my wife!" The grin was wiped out by a pillow that flew across the room, Zell's hands supporting his head not being able to deflect it.

Squall walked back into the room, Rinoa finally out of his hands. He sat on the edge of Zell's couch, resting upon one of the armrests. "Rinoa is still sleeping…I'm amazed at how far her magic defences have fallen since coming to this world. But she ought to wake soon." He looked down at Zell. "What now?" He asked, the question meaning what do they do now.

Zell shrugged. "I dunno about you, but I'm going to have a nap! We just walked all night and got our asses kicked, so I'm pooped!" He rolled over so that his back faced outwards from the couch. "If anybody wants me, just scream."

Squall slammed his palm into his face, shaking his head and sighing. "Great leadership skills, Zell. We have no time to rest. We have to…"

"…Zzzz…"

Squall stood then, throwing his hands up into the air. "Aiyaa, why do I bother?" he grumbled before walking back to the room where Rinoa was.

Apart from Zell's snores, there wasn't a sound in the room as Julius and Trish looked at each other. "So…what do you wanna do?" Trish asked the hacker, pulling her cloak off her and tossing her long ponytail back over her shoulder.

Julius looked over at Zell, before shrugging. "I don't know…I'm inclined to follow suit to Dincht. I am a bit tired too."

"I think last night took a lot out of all of us…" Trish said, yawning with a big stretch of the arms before standing. "I'm going to go see what Emily's doing."

Julius nodded, not saying anything as he suddenly gained a distant look in his face.

Trish frowned, unable to read his reaction – before walking out of the room. The entrance opened up into the living room, and to the left of that area was the small kitchen, which consisted of a fridge and a cupboard with a small oven. Trish wasn't so sure she wanted to check what was inside either – she had already been disgusted with the weird thing-on-a-stick that Zell had handed to her when she had complained that she was hungry. She didn't want to see what other strange foods were in this violent universe.

Walking out of the living room into a small hallway, she looked into the first door on the left to see Squall sitting next to the still sleeping Rinoa. He looked up at Trish, and for the first time since she had met him she saw something – a bone weariness.

The look immediately vanished as he looked up at Trish, his face as impassive as a stone. "Yes?" He asked, his neutral voice neither threatening nor sympathetic – simply stoic.

"Is…is she going to be alright?" Trish asked, her voice equally neutral as she leant against the doorframe, crossing her arms. _You're not going to intimidate me, Rock Man._

Squall looked down at Rinoa again and brushed a lick of hair from her face with tenderness. "I hope so…" He whispered.

Trish blinked. _A side that most people don't see?_ "Are you alright?"

Squall looked up at the thief and flashed a brief smile, the edges of his lips turning up barely. "Trust me when I say that I've been through much worse experiences. I'll survive." He looked down at Rinoa again, brushing his hand across her face as his voice became distantly wistful. "…I always do…"

"You love her very much."

"With all my soul."

Trish nodded slowly, before backing away from the door, shutting the wooden door quietly as she left the room.

The door shutting with a soft click before her, Trish frowned as she tried to realise when it was the last time that she had been held with that kind of tenderness.

There was that boy in Galbadia…he had a thing about cuddling, which was cute for a while…then there was the girl in Dollet who liked to play with my hair…and then there was mom…

Trish sighed audibly, leaning against the wall opposite the door and crossing her arms. _No affection in that event, really…she just gave me a quick squeeze and pushed me over to Zidane…not that he was never affectionate, but he neve held me like mom did…_ She shook her head, sighing again. _Why do I torture myself with this? It was a whole decade ago! Why can't I forget?!_

_Because you don't want to…_a small voice in the back of head said.

Trish's face was full of gloom as Emily emerged from the door next to Squalls, shutting the door behind her before turning – and smiling aggravatingly. "Ah. The Thief." She purred, the words pouring over her lips like liquid gold. She had replaced all her facial jewellery, the multitude of rings, spikes and symbols making her face look like a walk-around two-dollar shop.

Trish looked up. "Ah. The Goth. Still trying to make yourself feel 'alone' by embedding metal into your face? I never understood why Goths do that to themselves…"

Her mood had suddenly taken a boost from melancholy to aggression, and Trish almost regretted the outburst…almost. The actions from the night before, from the arrival through the Arch to the baptism of fire regarding the magic, still simmered in Trish's belly.

"No need to be so offensive, Thief." Emily said coolly, walking closer. "We're all on the same team here."

"Sometimes I wonder." Trish muttered.

"Oh?" Emily said, cocking an eyebrow, the action causing the rings on the eyebrow to chime melodiously. "And what would you make you say otherwise?"

Trish narrowed her eyes…but said nothing.

"Thought so." Emily muttered, shaking her head and smirking – before locking gazes with the thief. "Listen to this, little girl – you are way out of your league here. You are surrounded by people who would kill you without a second thought if they were ordered to. Even the blond nerd outside was one of us. Don't think just because you have some Blue and know how to draw magic that you can become one of us. So just do what you need to do, and stop bothering everybody with your incessant whining."

Trish placed a finger on her lip. "Funny…as I recall it was you who needed taking care of at the start. And if I remember correctly, you never said thankyou either." Trish felt a smirk rising as she saw Emily's face turn from one of mute triumph to one of quiet anger. Standing upright from her lean, she walked right up to Emily, sticking her face right into the Goth's. "Well?"

Emily's eyes were full of a burning rage, her concealment only just holding – before she smiled. "I like you, Thief. You do what you like and don't take crap."

"I've lived with these kinds of people my entire life. I'm used to _not_ following orders."

Emily's look of rage began to die down to something else unclear to Trish. "You'll learn to follow them if you stay with us…everybody does eventually."

"What makes you think I want to be a SeeD?"

Before Emily could answer the question, there was a sound, like that of a pump puffing a quick pressure of air. Trish felt something slam into her neck, something that stang like a needle, and as she fell to the floor, sleep coming almost instantly, she realised dully that she knew the sound.

A silencer for a gun.

*          *            *

"Oi."

"…"

"Hey!"

"…"

"C'mon, wake up!!"

"…Go away Baku, I don't wanna play anymore…"

"Dammit Zell, if you don't wake up I'm going to beat the ever loving fuck out of you!!"

Zell suddenly sat up. "Hotdogs, _now_!" He blurted, before looking around, frowning and scratching his head, which felt like somebody had stuffed it full of cotton wool. "Wha…what the hell?"

He had sat up in a large bare room, the stones in the floor, walls and ceiling all old as sin, a big rusty door to his left. Moss and mildew covered the corners of the room, and a small slit with bars over it was situated just in the middle of the north wall, the only source of light, the rays spewing out of the tiny slit. Julius sat next to him, the hacker's clothes still torn and dirty from the fight last night. Squall lay in the corner of the room, still in the position where he had landed from whoever had thrown him, obviously unconscious. Zell's gauntlets had been removed, as well as Julius' Orihalcon gloves and Squall's LionHeart.

Zell took this all in – before lying flat on his back once more, laughter coming out him in loud bursts.

Julius blinked, obviously not understanding Zell's humour as it echoed around them in the small confines. "Zell, in case you haven't noticed, this is a _prison cell_, not a happy day at the park!"

Zell stopped laughing to wipe the tears from his eyes. "I…I know…I was just wondering when the guard will come in and start giving us shit." He read Julius' blank look and waved his hand at him. "Ah forget it…Squall would've understood."

"I understand." Squall said suddenly, sitting up. "You've told me enough of your version of the 'miraculous' escape from the Sand Prison I can almost recite it word for word." He looked around, a slight look of confusion creeping onto his features. "Where are we?"

Zell shrugged. "I dunno. I was fast asleep, then I woke up here."

"We were shot." Julius said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small dart. "With tranquillisers. Somebody knew where we were going, and must've set up an ambush. We were too tired to notice."

Squall stood, his legs wobbling. "We need to escape, obviously…" He muttered, starting to pace the small cell in order to work the circulation back into his legs. "And then we need to find the girls."

"Stand back, boys, and watch the door-breaker extraordinaire do his stuff!" Zell said confidently, jumping to his feet. He swayed on the spot for a second – "Wait…wait a second…there we go…" – before tottering over to where the door was.

Holding his hand out and wrapping his other hand around the wrist for support, Zell concentrated – and yelped as a spark jumped from his hand, scorching his palm. "Ow!! That's not supposed to happen!!" He yelled angrily, shaking his hand painfully.

"Magic dampeners…I hate magic dampeners…" Squall mumbled, finally sitting down in a corner.

Zell snorted, taking his stance in front of the door. "Okay…alright…lets try the old fashioned way." Drawing his fist back, he let fly, the knuckles digging deep into the door, the door actually _giving way _to his fist, before repelling it, as if Zell had just punched a steel net.

"Dammit…" He muttered, shaking his hand again. "Okay…one last time…"

"I wouldn't, if I were you."

The three SeeDs looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. It was light like a woman's yet held an aggressive tone in it that screamed _don't fuck with me_. "Yo, what's up?" Zell yelled. "Show yourself so I can make you a knuckle sandwich for abducting us!"

Suddenly a wall slide open, oiling across like a sliding door, to reveal a white room guarded by what looked like glass. Three people stood behind the glass – a man, his hair cut almost to military regulations and dressed like a solider, and two women, the first dressed similarly to the man, her brown hair also cut short.

The third was Dianna.

Squall blinked, not believing his eyes. "My gods…" He muttered.

"I understand the factors of alternate universes." Dianna said, her voice echoing out of the glass box through unknown forces. "It doesn't surprise me that there will be people who look alike, sometimes to the very minuet detail. So please…call me what you will."

"Personality doesn't seem to be included in the package." Zell spat, over the obvious shock of seeing his girlfriend twin and now feeling revulsion beholding this twisted variation. "What have you done with our friends? They better not be hurt…"

"Our society is one of violence, yes…but they are safe." Dianna said, her cold eyes turning to Zell. "We are a race that understands the honour of battle, Hunter. It is a pity you could not stay here permanently."

"Obviously our similarities of honour are different too…" Zell muttered, stepping forward. "And what do you mean, permanently?"

The man stepped forward, his tone every bit military as a Galbadian SeeD. "You have been declared traitors by Queen Heartilly and will be taken to the Home Universe where you will be put to death…or incarcerated for the rest of your natural lives."

Zell blinked, frowning, as he looked the glass screen up and down – before turning to Squall. "What do you reckon?"

Squall shrugged, obviously uninterested in the conversation - but understanding the fist-fighter's proposition. "Whatever."

Zell nodded with a smile – before spinning, his fist slamming directly into the glass covering the three. The sudden attack made all but Dianna start – the carbon copy of Angel simply smiled, shaking her head sadly. "This glass is, quite literally, unbreakable. We have men in our universe ten times more powerful then you, Hunter, and they cannot break it. You should save your strength for…"

Her voice trailed off as she realised that he hadn't taken his fist from the glass. Instead he stood, his muscles bulging, his teeth grit with effort as a slight tremor erupted from the shoulder, travelled down the arm, and exited into the wall of solid glass.

The glass remained as it was, and Zell removed his hand, looking at the glass with a frown. "Shit, I was sure that'd work…"

"See? You have no magic, Dincht. You're attacks are useless…" Dianna's voice trailed off once more as a small crack suddenly emerged from the centre of the glass, a giant tearing sound echoing throughout the room as the crack grew into a crevasse, the glass suddenly shattering completely under it's own weight, sharp shards hurling themselves all over the place.

Dianna looked up from where she had jumped for cover to see Dincht standing exactly where he had been, his smile broad on his face as he stepped forward. "Never underestimate a SeeD." He said, before taking a bow.

"Excellent, Zell." Julius said jovially, getting up and cracking his knuckles. "Very well done. What do you call it?"

"Can you believe I haven't named it yet?" Zell shot back with a cocked eyebrow.

"I…I don't understand…" The man stuttered, watching as the three SeeDs entered the white room at their leisure. "That…that attack is suppose to be magic based…a Limit Break…"

"Nu-uh. Looks like your stupid spy has his information a little wrong." Zell corrected. "Nothing but one-hundred percent human strength and willpower." Zell cracked the knuckles in his left hand, before cricking his neck from side to side, his voice happy in tone. "The judges will allow five seconds of pointless begging before the beating begins."

Dianna held up her hand, causing Zell to frown at the thing she grasped. "What the hell is that?" He muttered.

"A warning beacon. In seconds the entire place will be swarmed in Heart Soldiers. You, your friends – and your lady friends – will be cut down in seconds when I press down on this button. And let me remind you – even your speed wont stop me pressing it."

Zell's happy demeanour melted away. He could tell that she meant business. "Well…it seems like we have a Galbadian Draw here, people. How about we discuss this like the civilised people we are?"

"What do you want from us?" Squall said suddenly, stepping forward. "If you were going to hand us over to the Hearts, you would have done so by now, while we were incapacitated."

Zell turned to Squall, stamping his foot childishly. "Dammit, Squall, I got it covered!" He whined.

"Rinoa and the others are captured, Zell. It's time to stop showboating and get down to business." Squall said icily, staring Zell straight in the face.

"But I'm leader!!"

"Don't make me pull rank."

Zell shut up, stuffing his hands in his pockets and walking over to the edge of the white room to lean against the wall. He only wanted a bit of fun before beating the info out of the three…what harm could there be?

Julius took all this in and shook his head, exasperated, before sitting down on the floor cross-legged and watched the two military types like a hawk. He may as well do something, and since Zell was sulking and Squall was on the negotiation table, it fell to Julius to play guard. The woman shifted slightly – making Julius shift a little closer. The movement wasn't threatening – but it wasn't passive either, and the woman got the picture, shifting back to her original position, Julius rewarding her with a smile.

"You seem to know what is going on, Squall…" Dianna said, standing to her full height. "You are right. I'm not ready to give you to them yet…" She muttered, flicking a finger to the two military types.

"Dianna! Watch what you say!" the woman growled, interrupting the Crisp – before a back-kick slashed across her face, Dianna's foot burying the skull into the wall.

"Nobody orders me…nobody." Dianna said quietly, withdrawing her foot and allowing the body to fall to the floor, the head landing on the pristine white floor with a wet thump, the blood splattering out around it like a crushed tomato.

The man watched all this and went red with anger, his rage boiling within…but he knew the consequences of talking now.

"As I said before that mild irritancy…" Dianna continued, flicking her foot to rid it of the excess blood and brain matter. "…We are not ready to give you to them yet. We believe in a warriors death – not a death that the Queen will give you."

"What do you propose?" Squall asked suspiciously, crossing his arms.

Dianna looked at Zell, before walking over to the Heart crouched to the floor, placing a hand on the man's head and running her fingers through his hair. "We Crisps are not an inherently violent people. We do not like wanton destruction. We have learned from the errors of our ancestors, when they scorched the Crisp planet with their wars and their magic." She began to trace a pattern in the man's hair, the disrespect and insult beginning to show in the man's face. "However, that doesn't not mean we don't like a good fight. So, when the Sorceress Queen came to this world with her shining armour and her generous offer to allow our planet to live if we served her, we accepted wholeheartedly. Our planet has been divided for centuries, for no real reason except for hatreds between kings and general long since turned to dust."

"She gave us a semblance of peace, as well as the opportunity to wet our beaks in conquering new worlds." Suddenly gripping the man's head with her hand, she twisted, the man's neck snapping like a brittle twig, his body flopping to the floor like a sack of potatoes. She looked up at Squall with her cold eyes. "And we do our job very efficiently."

"You haven't answered my question." Squall said, his voice almost a growl.

Dianna smiled, looking down at the body before walking over to Zell. "I believe you are a martial arts champion in your universe, is that true?"

Zell looked up sullenly, still slightly peeved at having his fun taken from him like a favourite toy taken from a child. "Yeah…so what?"

"We hold our own Tournaments every year or so, depending on how many Crisps are in the universe at the time. However, the Tournaments have gotten…stale, over the last decade or so…" She smiled up at him. "You're power…it's so intriguing…"

"Enough with the talk." Squall said suddenly. "Tell us."

Dianna shot Squall a look, before turning back to Zell. "Participate in our Tournament, and I'll allow you to live. You and all your friends. And not only that, I'll give you safe passage out of the city."

Zell narrowed his eyes. "Sounds too good to be true."

"Oh, it is. You see, the fighters who participate in these Tournaments are like nothing you've ever seen." Dianna said, Zell seeing a frightening flash in her eyes as she talked. "These men and women are bred for battle, taught the most powerful magic from birth and pitted against the most terrible beasts that the Lunar Cry has bestowed upon us. The survivors of these Tournaments have been given an automatic pardon from any sins they have committed against our Queen and are freed from any laws they have encountered in the past. And allow me to say – there are men who have been pardoned from the most heinous crimes."

Zell tried not to gulp, his mind unable to comprehend this wicked version of his sweet Angel. "W-what are you saying?" He stuttered.

"Simply compete, and you will go free. It is that simple, Hunter." Dianna said with a small smile. "I shall wait for your decision outside. If you refuse," Her voice took on a chilling tone, "And you won't – you will be gunned down for killing two Heart officers." She gestured at the two corpses behind her. "Two _high ranking _Heart officers."

Turning succinctly, she moved to the wall opposite the one Zell leaned on, pressing a square of white tile in. Almost immediately a section of the wall slide up, and Dianna moved out of the door, turning to close it behind her.

"Why?" Zell said suddenly, looking up at her. "Why give us the chance?"

Dianna paused, her hand hovering over the door-stud, and for a split second Zell could've sworn he had seen his Angel, the sweet, happy, loving girl that he had fallen for in the happy world of his own. "Because…you look exactly like him."

And with that the door slid down, cutting them off from the only exit, and leaving them to determine their fate. The Seeds looked at each other, their faces all containing the same thing.

Despair.

*          *            *

Zell looked out of the door into the arena, the floor covered in light green sand, the walls of the colosseum ordained with all kinda of weapons and deadly traps – spikes, gaping jaws, holes that shot out darts that slowed the mind and body if you got too close. The arena was huge – at least the size of a football field – and was as flat as one gil. The seats were completely packed too – it reminded Zell of his times in the Tournament, seeing all the people cheering for him – only this crowd was more busy fighting each other then watching the slaughter below them. Zell counted five people thrown over the railings into the arena, where the fighters, who paused their own fights to play with the hapless spectator who had suddenly become sport, picked them off mercilessly.

He shook his head and turned around, walking back down the ramp from the gate barring his exit, back down to Julius and Squall. "Well, I couldn't see the girls…" He said sadly. "I hope they're alright."

"If they aren't…" Squall muttered, cricking his neck to the side and slashing the large-bladed sword around in his hands, loosening the wrist, "I'll kill everybody in the arena."

Julius simply said nothing, his gaze fixed steadily on his gloves as he wound yet another tape around his knuckles, making doubly sure they were tight enough to be solid, yet loose enough to allow ample movement.

Zell shook his head, trying to kill the demons banging around in his head. "Dammit, we shouldn't have taken her offer! We should have punched our way through and taken out chances in the prison!"

"And be captured or killed five steps from the cell? Come on, Zell, think for a minute!" Squall said, anger in his voice. "We have a chance, and we have to take it, no matter how much we don't trust Angel…I mean Dianna."

At the mention of her name Zell sank to the dusty ground, his face as pale as a ghost. Squall was instantly sorry for the slip, and stepped forward. "Remember…she isn't Angel." He said, placing a hand on his friends shoulder.

Zell blinked the tears away, shaking his head and standing slowly. "I know…but it's hard…not to think so…"

"Forget about her." Julius said suddenly, his voice full of angry determination. "Concentrate on the others. We have to get Emily, Trish, Rinoa and Veronica back from them. That's all that matters now."

"You're right." Zell said, his own determination creeping into his voice. "Our…our main objective right now is to find the girls. And if that means tearing this arena down, then by the gods we'll do it!"

Squall smiled slightly, before turning back to his sword, rechecking it to make sure it was sharp enough.

*          *            *

They didn't need to wait long before a loud trumpeting sound erupted over the sounds of the screams from the last combatants, drowning out death rattles as the announcer spoke.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, today we have a special treat for you! All the way from a different Universe, the champions of their world, brought to fight just for your enjoyment – may I present Zell Dincht, Squall Leonheart and Julius Garner!!"

"Showtime, boys." Zell muttered, cracking his knuckles. "Lets make an impression."

The gates opened slowly, dramatically, and the SeeDs walked boldly forward, Zell taking the lead with Julius in the middle, Squall taking up the rear, his large sword rested on his shoulder as if he didn't have a care in the world. Walking from the ready room, their eyes adjusted to the sudden glare of the sun as they stepped onto the green sand, looking about themselves warily as the crowd began to cheer. The SeeDs walked forward a little, moving into the centre of the arena like Dianna had told them to do so, and looked about them, awestruck at the sheer number of people present.

In what looked like a private box on the edge of the seatings at the north sat Dianna, looking down at the SeeDs with an elegance of a Queen. Zell narrowed his eyes and jabbed Squall with his elbow, pointing up at the box.

The girls sat beside Dianna, bound and gagged, each with a gun to their heads. They didn't look very hurt – Trish looked down at them sadly, Emily looking very, very angry. Rinoa sat very still, looking scared, her big brown eyes looking down at Squall, the fear being sent almost immediately.

_Are you alright?_ He thought, knowing that she could read his thoughts.

Yes…but I'm scared.

We'll get you out soon. Don't worry.

Dianna stood suddenly, holding her hand out, the masses finally quieting to allow the woman to speak. With the grace of a queen and the manner of a king, she pointed down at the SeeDs. "These men fight for something. They have a purpose, a meaning. Warriors, torn from their world, to save their own. Do we pity them?"

The masses cried out their negativity.

"Do we mourn them when they die?"

Again, the masses screamed defiantly, the negatives rising over the arena's top and into the heavens.

"Then shall we allow them to fight for their lives, and the lives of their companions, like the warriors they are?!"

As one the crowd stood, their fists pumping into the air as they responded positively with such gusto it made the stone pillars holding the arena on it's foundation tremble.

Dianna raised a hand to quiet the people once more, before looking down at the SeeDs again. "I, Dianna Forelore, Queen of the Crisps through single combat with King Irloine Torment, proclaim that if you win these bouts, you shall go free. If you should fail, however, your integrity as a warrior and your warriors pride will be shattered, meaningless to us…and we will invade your planet without a second thought. We will rape the lands of their natural resources, and we will destroy all who stand in our way. That is the way of the Crisps!!"

She pumped her fist in the air, the crowds screaming their love for her as well, standing and cheering as one.

Zell rolled his eyes. "Another thing that doesn't make her Angel – at least my hon isn't melodramatic."

Dianna quieted the crowds again, before turning around and picking up something. Turning suddenly, she tossed something into the arena, a box of sorts that landed with a thump just under the private box. "May Kenny, God of War, have mercy on your souls." She stated, before sitting down abruptly.

"Drama queen…" Julius muttered, looking over at the box. "What do you think it is?"

"I know what it 'aint…" Zell muttered as a gate on the other side of the arena began to open, Zell taking his stance as three people walked out of the inky blackness. "Chocolate-chip cookies."

*          *            *

The three people walked out into the blazing sun, the glare of the burning orb not seeming to affect them as they strolled out, spreading evenly over the arena grounds.

The first, a man of medium height with a meaty frame, his muscles larger then usual, walked up to Zell smiling happily. He was dressed in loose clothing, the brown cotton flapping over his frame as he approached Zell, his bare-feet padding on the sand softly, and Zell realised he was heavier then he looked – his feet actually sank slightly into the sand. He bowed slightly, and Zell realised he towered over him – by at least a foot. "Hello. My name is Form. I am the martial arts champion of this world." He said, his voice deep as the ocean – but in a tone that sounded like he was about to go on a roller-coaster ride, full of excitement and barely contained glee.

Zell placed a hand on his hip and looked up at the man, unimpressed. "No shit."

The man seemed to have the intellectuality of a ten year old, smiling happily down at Zell. "If I defeat you, it would mean that I have destroyed over three champions from three worlds, a new record to our people. It would mean that I could challenge Dianna to single combat and become ruler of our people."

Zell shot a glance up to Dianna, who was looking at him. "Something tells me you wouldn't last against her, buddy..."

"Oh, don't let my muscles fool you. I'm rather fast."

Zell looked up at the man as if he had just said he was the emperor of the world and that everybody had to wear a fish on his or her head from now on. Is this guy an idiot? He thought to himself.

Squall watched as a female, small and lithe, walked up to him, her face as icy as Shiva. Her black hair was done up in a ponytail which lazily hung over her shoulder, the tip coming to rest just where her hand carried a slim sword. She looked at the gunblader with cold eyes, her voice like grating steel. "My name is Rowen Tragedy." She stated.

"I am Squall Leonhart. It seems that you are my opponent."

"Yes."

The steely introductions over, the two swordsmen stared at each other, each not taking their stance, but neither relaxing. Their words meant it all – this was business. There was no feeling regarding the battle – they would fight, one of them would die. Simple.

Julius watched all this unfold, before watching the other woman walked up to him, her dark hair bouncing as she approached the computer expert. "Hello…" She said, her voice light as it tinkled out of her mouth.

He gasped. It was her! Right down to the hair! "V…Veronica?" He stammered.

Her black hair was still short, as short as that day so long ago. He had gotten annoyed with her hairstyles, and had asked her to keep one and to stay with it; she had gone with this one. Her cute green eyes looked at him with muted confusion, and she frowned slightly in that intoxicatingly cute frown she pulled when she didn't understand something. "No…my name is Carrie."

"No…you're Veronica…you have to be…"

Carrie blinked – before shrugging. "Whatever, man. It's not like you'll be caring for long anyways."

A tone emitted from the speakers surrounding the arena. "Erhum…the rules are as follows. Magic and Draws are allowed, but GF usages will result in a…penalty. The pairings are: SquallLeonhart  vs Rowen Tragedy, , Julius Garner vs Carrie Fisher and Zell Dincht vs Form Livestock. If any of the Universal competitors lose, then their pardons will be forfeit and they will be destroyed. If a Universal competitor wins, the next two fighters will step up, until the fight is over. All battles are to the death, or until a fighter cannot go on. Fighters, please prepare."

Squall smiled down at the small girl. "It seems we are first."

"Take a good look around." The woman said, stabbing her slim blade into the ground and cracking her knuckles. "These surroundings will be the last thing you'll see."

Squall snorted but said nothing, readjusting his grip of his chunky sword slung over his shoulder before looking over at the private box, up at Rinoa.

Zell and Julius walked back to their end of the arena, Zell watching Julius carefully. The hacker was panting, breathless, his eyes wide as he began to sweat profusely. "Man…man, snap out of it!" Zell muttered, knocking him in the shoulder, causing him to stumble. "It's not her!"

"I…I had forgotten how sweet her voice sounded…how could I forget such a thing?" Julius said, looking down at the ground, lost in his own world.

"Dammit…" Zell muttered, looking up as he watched Carrie walk back to her end of the arena. "Why did this have to happen now!?"

*          *            *

"Fighters, you may begin when ready!"

Rowen and Squall stood just a few feet apart, the two sword experts watching each other, their stares cold, their demeanour like rock.

Squall had chosen the large sword because of it's power and it's sharpness. The weight didn't bother him – a gunblade was a clumsy thing to use, heavy at the handle with the barrel travelling across the top of the blade not doing anything to lighten the load. This factor, however, did give Squall the opportunity to build his strength, and now he could heft any heavy weapon with relative ease. The only thing that worried him was the fact that he had been using the LionHeart too often of late – it's power and speed might've lulled him into a false sense of security, as it pretty much cut through almost anything it touched thanks to the energy blade, and was as light as a feather. He would have to adjust his tactic now that he was using an alien and physical blade.

Not only that, but he noted the way the woman before him stood, as well as the sword in her hand. A single blade, curved slightly like a katana from the Old World, it's metal very slim and sharp. It as supposed to be used swiftly, a quick wounding attack before moving in for an interior slice. Rowen herself was small, the muscles seen through her clothing showing tone instead of bulk. She was a speed player, dashing in quick to deliver an attack before retreating and waiting for the next opportunity.

Well, we'll see if her technique will work on me… Squall thought, cracking his neck to the side as he lowered his body down, his knees bending as he hefted the sword from his shoulder and drew the blunt-edge across his hand, pointing the tip at her in a text-book copy of the 'lazy dragon' stance.

Squall watched as she noted the stance, her eyes darting around his body to note weight and muscle tensions – before moving forward quickly, her sword slicing forward, the blade cutting trough the air – 

To be knocked up by Squall as he belied the sword with his own speed, the sheer intensity of the blade's swinging potential showing itself as Squall bend back and swung the sword in a wide arc, Carrie's attack being thrown up wildly.

Squall continued with the motion, swinging the sword effortlessly, allowing the curve to build by itself as he gained more and more of a feel for it as Carrie defended desperately, the larger sword chiming off her smaller one – before the chunky blade finally slammed into the blade of the smaller katana one final time, the metal shattering brilliantly!!

Carrie fell to the ground, the handle of the sword in her hand falling to land on the sand easily, tumbling away from her.

Squall expertly spun his chunky sword, twisting it dramatically around his arm once, twice, three times before spinning and slamming it into the ground, the blade travelling deep into the earth as he knelt down with it…to look up at Carrie coldly, his eyes slitted, his breath normal, his demeanour calm.

*          *            *

At their edge of the arena Zell laughed out loud. "Booya!!" He yelled, clapping and whistling, the crowd cheering along with him as they finally saw a true fight begin to go underway.

Up in the private box Rinoa smiled behind her gag, a small tear tracing down her face.

*          *            *

Carrie picked herself up slowly, not bothering to dust herself off as she flicked her ponytail over her shoulder. "You have skill…I bow to you."

Squall continued to look up at her, his voice as cold as death. "I shall give you one more chance – give up…or I will have to kill you."

"You have no choice, Squall Leonhart…" She looked down at him warily now, her action more precise as she reached behind her to draw two smaller, slimmer blades. Squall recognised them as wazikashi's, the baby-blades to the katana. She thinks I can't defend against a double attack at that kind of speed…to tell the truth, I'm not sure about it myself. I know I should have sparred more with Kiros when I had the chance…

He stood slowly and beckoned her forward with a nod of his head, his hand on the hilt of his sword, waiting. Well then, lets find out wether or not you're as good as you're supposed to be.

She responded with a nod of her own – before darting forward, the twin blades flashing brilliantly before the SeeD as he ripped his own sword out of the ground, spraying them both with sand as he blocked the first two attacks, the spinning blades barely brushed aside by the larger, heavier weapon.

Rowen moved with a speed that Squall had never seen before, her arms darting wildly back and forth, her face as impassive as a stone as she barraged him with slices, jabs and stabs, Squall's chunky blade slapping them all aside within the nanoseconds that he could swing them.

Then the attacks actually began to increase, the weapons in the woman's hands moving like a blur, the attacks slamming against the chunky blade's edge, Squall watching suddenly as a quick amount of slices cut straight through the heavy metal, the last two feet of blade on the massive five-foot sword suddenly flying off to embed itself into the arena wall.

Squall span suddenly, kicking out with his foot to connect with the girl's midsection, the attack blowing the air out of Rowen's body and sending her flying back slightly, the Crisp slamming her feet into the sandy ground to regain footing.

Squall watched as she looked up slowly, her breathes ragged as the impassiveness that had been present in her eyes were gone, replaced with something else – a slow burning rage. He looked down at his broken sword, the long blade abruptly cut short. He didn't know wether or not he could fight with the weapon now – but he wasn't ready to take the chance.

Knowing that the next attack would be a cautious one, Squall kept his eyes on the girl as he began to slowly circle her, his eyes darting from her to the arena's walls as she searched for an adequate replacement. Somebody had generously placed a wide selection of weaponry on the walls – but Squall couldn't see one gunblade anywhere. Haven't these people figured out the bullet/razor ratio yet? He thought to himself sullenly as he continued to look – before spying it!

A slender blade, straight and made of a shining metal, sat on the very edge of the arena, just behind Rowen…who had finally realised what Squall was doing, narrowing her eyes as she quickly checked behind her to see that she had been herded into the weaponry area of the arena.

Spinning back, she jumped back as Squall suddenly appeared before her, his hand outstretched – to trace a black insignia in the air before her with almost inhuman speed, his fist suddenly smashing into it as he muttered the activation word under his breathe. Almost immediately the Crisp warrior cried out, raising her hands to her eyes – which were pouring dark smoke out into the air, the Blind taking effect almost instantly. Taking his opportunity before she could cast Disuna, Squall stepped forward  - and slammed his chunk sword into her mid-section, the blow too heavy to cut, the attack simply knocking her flying into the wall and to the sand, landing on her hands and knees painfully.

When she finally regained her sight she saw Squall standing back in the centre of the arena, the slender blade in his hands now. All impassiveness was gone now as she spat on the ground angrily, regaining her footing and slapping the sand from her face.

Squall regarded her unemotionally, his eyes like dead orbs following her every move as she walked forward slowly, shifting gears into a jog, before shifting again into a full blown sprint. Unmoving like a statue, Rowen was on top of him in an instant – before he span and ducked suddenly, the twin blades slashing just over and around him as he ducked and weaved elegantly, the sword in his hands snaking out every now and then to slap aside an attack too close for comfort. The cheers from the crowd made his blood burn, the image of Rinoa tied and gagged continually flashing in his sight as the raven-haired woman before him continually tried to slice him open.

What is the point in this? He thought to himself as he span on his heel, his blade clanging as he knocked away one of Rowen's blades to flip away, digging into the sandy ground. Why do people enjoy killing others? And why, of all the sports, do people watch this?

Stepping back as Rowen back-flipped out of reach, Squall narrowed his eyes. Is it the longing for battle in our subconscious? Do we have to fight in order to survive, or is it simply something, as humans, we must do? He watched as Rowen narrowed her eyes, tossing the one knife in her hand to the other, before running forward. What makes us do this?

Squall allowed her to approach as he had before, stepping forward to meet her attack – before she suddenly jumped up high into the air, flipping up and over his body to land behind him. Shit…he thought, throwing himself forward as he felt the tip of the small blade scratch across the back of his neck, the attack only just missing his neck as he rolled and came up, sand pouring off his leather jacket as he scowled at the woman. Didn't expect her to be that athletic…

He watched her more cautiously now, her movements suddenly erratic as she bent down to pull her second blade form the sand – before erupting from her position, red flames flaring around her as her Haste quickened her body.

Squall jumped back desperately, trying to make some space – before feeling two long pieces of hot iron enter his stomach and exit out his back, the iron slicing straight through his intestines as he blinked, looking down – to see Rowen, her face suddenly impassive once more, her wazikashi's buried hilt deep into the gunblader's chest.

*          *            *

Rinoa shrieked pitifully behind her gag, watching as the blood began to drip from her Knight's stomach onto the sand of the arena.

"Shit…" Zell grunted as he watched the tips of the two blades exit through Squall's jacket, the dark leather becoming darker as red liquid began to seep out of the wounds.

*          *            *

Dammit… Squall thought as all the sounds of the crowd, his own echoing breathing, even his heartbeat pounding away in his head, melted away to a deep, dark silence. Should have been more careful. Speed is essential.

Rowen looked up at the gunblader, her anger gone to be replaced with her usual impassiveness, who looked down at her equally impassively. He watched as she grit her teeth – before twisting the blades, the sharp metal stabbing through Squall's back suddenly ripping out of his side, the wound spewing blood in great gouts as Squall fell to his knees, puking life force as his vision began to swim.

The woman stood in front of him, her clothes now bathed in his blood, her face splattering in it, and she raised her hands high, going in for the final blow on the mortally wounded SeeD, the blades slashing down, the red droplets hanging in the air as they neared Squall's neck…

…Before the neck slipped just out of the way, the twin blades slicing a few brown hairs from Squall's fringe as he looked up, bearing his bloody teeth as he reached out to grab Rowen's long ponytail and pull her down, flipping her around to ram his palm into her back.

Her screams echoed around the arena as the Flare erupted from her chest, blasting her lungs, heart and bodily organs to oblivion as Squall's own roar echoed around the arena with the roar of the magic blast. The Flare spanned out, smashing into the wall of the arena, destroying most of it and sending a number of the crowd into the sand, falling without grace into the Flare's destructive wave.

Finally letting the Flare go, Squall sat back, one arm wrapped around his belly to keep his guts inside his body. The people in the crowd began to murmur between them. "Is he dead?" 

"Maybe he is?"

"I dunno, he wouldn't have pulled that off unless he had a bit left in him…"

"You reckon that's it?"

"Wait! Look!!"

Every eye was on Squall as he stood slowly – infinitely slowly – and staggered to his feet, tottering slightly to the left, but up nonetheless. Looking down at the smouldering ponytail still in his hand, he tossed it away, before spitting a bloody gobbet after it. Turning to go, he looked down to realise that one of the blades had been stabbed deep into his leg. Reaching down with a free hand, he ripped it out and threw it away with a vehenomous anger, before moving over to Zell, taking his time as he marked his path with footsteps in the sand and large droplets of blood.

Zell ran out to meet his friend, and when Squall reached the fist-fighter he smiled. "I won." He whispered before falling to his knees weakly. Zell was at his side in an instant, putting his arms under his friend's armpits and dragging him over to the edge of the arena as painlessly as possible.

"Damn, but you made it close." Zell agreed hurriedly, holding his hands over the wound, the great tear in Squall's stomach healing over…but not completely. "There. That's my last Cura. You'll just have to wait until we get out of here for Rinoa to heal you."

Squall had lost a lot of blood, and was paler then usual, but still managed to grunt a "…Whatever..." Before falling unconscious.

"Damn, he's a hard bastard…" Zell said, shaking his head – before looking at Julius. "Well man, you're up!"

Julius nodded solemnly, before standing, walking out into the arena.

*          *            *

Rinoa was crying unstoppably now, the tears streaming down her face as she looked down at her wounded Squall, his body unmoving. She screamed out his name telepathically, begging for him to answer – but she received none, and her grief grew even more, cursing her weakness, cursing the magic dampener clamped on her neck, cursing Dianna for making Squall fight – cursing them all.

Trish looked down at the man and shook her head in wonder. His body had been literally ripped to shreds – yet he had still had enough strength to blast the bitch to hell and make it over to Zell. I think…I wont mess with him anymore… She thought to herself as she watched Julius solemnly walk forward.

Emily watched all the events unfold before her and simply grunted in surprise when Squall got up. She hadn't expected the gunblader to survive the attack – and more the worse for him. Without proper medical attention – which the Hunter obviously hadn't given him – he would be in agony right now. She smiled slightly at the thought, the humiliation of having been captured washing away briefly, and watched as Julius approached Carrie.

*          *            *

Julius walked forward, squinting in the sunlight as he approached Carrie. She tossed her dark hair back slightly, the breeze blowing it in her hair, and regarded him cautiously. "What's wrong with you? Don't wanna fight?" She asked, her beautiful voice like mana from the heavens to Julius.

"By the gods…I had almost lost all hope…" Julius whispered, half to himself, half t the vision before him.

Carrie frowned in that cute way again, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "You're nuts, guy. Why don't you just give up? You know what'll follow if you keep doing this."

Julius shook his head, blinking. "No…no, I cant give up, Veronica. I need to protect my friends."

"What's with this 'Veronica'? My name is Carrie, dammit!!"

A tone emerged from the loud-speakers rigged all around the arena, before the announcer's voice called out once more. "Fighters, you may begin when ready!"

Carrie smirked, taking her stance. "Ready to die?"

Julius frowned. "What…what do you mean?" he asked – before his breath was blown out of him, Carrie covering the distance between them in an instant to slam her fist deep into his stomach, the attack knocking the spectacles off his face – before she withdrew her fist from his stomach and spun-kicked him, the attack sending him flying to the other end of the areana, where he landed dangerously close to Squall's supine form.

Zell was at his side in an instant, rolling him over – to see tears flowing from his eyes. "Why…why did she attack me?" He cried, the anguish evident in his voice.

"Because it isn't her, man!" Zell shouted. "She's not Veronica!!"

"But…" Was all Julius was able to mutter as Carrie suddenly rocketed up to them, her boot snaking out to connect with the hacker's side, sending him up and smashing into the arena wall, the green rock crumbling beneath his body as he fell – to be caught by Carrie, her laughter echoing around the arena as she spun his around and around, his head smashing through the green walls with each spin – before he was thrown like a throwing hammer across the arena once more, Carrie's strength belying her pettiness as she blasted out towards Julius once more.

Now in a world of pain as he skittled to a stop, his blond hair falling out around his face haphazardly and sticking to it as he touched the cuts on his forehead, Julius looked up – to see Carrie standing, towering before him. "Veronica…what…" He mumbled as Carrie grabbed a fist-full of hair and lifted his head – to smash her tiny fist into his face. The attack send shockwaves through the sand behind him, and Carrie watched as it travelled through the green ground with an amused look – before smashing her fist into Julius' face again, seeing if the event would happen again.

It didn't, and she looked down at him with disgust, picking him up and standing him on his feet delicately, making sure he was upright – before slamming her foot into his groin, Julius' bloodshot eyes widening painfully as he screamed in agony. All the men winced in unison as Carrie dislodged her foot from the SeeD's groin – before kicking him again and again, the last attack making him fall to his knees and cough up blood, unable to move in the debilitating agony he was in.

Carrie shook her head her voice full of mock pity. "Why aren't you fighting me? Do I remind you of someone or something?"

"Veronica…stop…please…" Julius croaked, his breathes ragged as he looked up at her painfully.

Carrie's features twisting into an angry snarl as she picked him up again and spun him around to face the areana again. "I'm not Veronica,dammit!! Firaga!!"

The blast took Julius directly in the chest, and he went flying up into the air, the ball of fire turning his clothes to ash and making his body sizzle. His elemental weakness was fire as well, and his pitiful Shell that he just got up before he was completely disintegrated wobbled dangerously on the brink of failing and holding. He flew high up into the air, his body pushed higher and higher by the flames…before they finally sputtered out, allowing Julius to fall back to Crisp, his body smoking and bleeding from the burns on his chest and face.

*          *            *

Zell watched, horrified, as Julius returned to the earth, landing on the ground with an echoing boom, almost directly in the centre of the arena, creating a large sandy outburst as his body buried itself deep in the green soil. "Oh Hyne no…" He whispered as the smell of cooked flesh and smoke began to emanate from the crater.

*          *            *

The crowd roared their disappointment as nothing moved within the smoking crater. They had come to see blood – and, although there had been plenty to see, they had at least hoped for this alien to put up a semblance of a fight.

Carrie snorted, barely out of breath as she walked over to the private box, looking up at her Queen. "Majesty, I have killed this one. He was not a warrior…he barely even tried to fight back."

"True…very well, the SeeDs will be executed and the…" Her voice trailed off as he sight moved from Carrie to the crater.

Gasps from the crowd arose as Julius, his burnt body still smoking, pulled himself from the crater and slowly – very slowly – made his way to Zell.

*          *            *

Zell ran out to meet his friend, whose breathes were as ragged as a man with nothing left. He looked up at Zell pitifully, his face scorched and bleeding from cuts, lacerations and burns, and tears streamed down his face as Zell took up his hand. "Why…" He croaked, his voice full of a deepening sadness. "…Why does she hate me?"

Zell shook his head, his voice full of anger and regret. "She isn't Veronica! She's another version! Why wont you realise that?!"

Julius' face slowly turned from one of grief to one of pained determination. "She…is. They've…they've brainwashed…her…"

Zell couldn't take his pigheadedness anymore, his words tumbling out of his mouth with all his anger. "Fucking hell, man, Veronica is dead! She's dead! You need to move on, dammit, or else you're going to get us all killed!!"

Julius' face switched to grief once more, his eyes confused. "No…"

"Yes! She's been dead for over five years! Get over it!!" Zell leaned close, whispering into the ragged excuse for a man's ear. "I know you still got some fight left in you. Take it, and use it! Defeat Carrie – you must do it!"

Julius absorbed the words, staring up at the sky, the tears falling from his burnt face, searing painfully through his wounds as Zell's words sunk in.

Zell watched the man deliberate, his mind clocking into overtime – before feeling a cool shadow come up over his shoulder. "Damn, but he's a hard son-of-a-bitch, isn't he?" Carrie muttered in wonder, looking down at Julius over Zell's shoulder.

Zell looked down at Julius, his face twisting inot a snarl – before standing, turning and opening his arms out wide, effectively blocking Carrie from Julius' body. "You wont get through me, you bitch." Zell growled. "You leave him alone, you hear?"

"Hunter!!" Dianna's voice cried, ringing out over the stadium. "Watch what you do! If you interfere anymore, you'll forfeit Julius! You understand the penalty for that?!"

"Bring it on, you whore!!" Zell yelled back, his guts twisting inside him as he looked up at the woman he loved. "I'll take on all your foot soldiers to save my friends!!"

"Noble…Dincht…" A pained voice croaked, Zell turning to watch, shocked, as Julius pulled himself to his feet. "But…I fight my…own battles."

"Julius…" Zell whispered, watching as he approached Zell and placed a charred hand on his shoulder.

"Go back to Squall." Julius said, his voice becoming more and more strong. Zell narrowed his eyes as he watched the Regen slowly do it's work, the edges of the burns on Julius' handsome features beginning to come together slowly, the edges tinged with a green unlike that seen in Cure magics.

Zell nodded dumbly, before backing away slowly, moving back to the unconscious gunblader, shocked and amazed. He should be dead… he thought to himself as he sat back down next to his friend.

*          *            *

Carrie regarded Julius cautiously. "Well…you still have some spirit left in you…"

Julius looked at her with dead eyes, his ocean-blue gaze locking on her bright green ones with all the intensity of an icy lake. "You reminded me of my lover…but now I know the truth, you can't hurt me."

"Oh really?" The girl said with a smirk, stepping forward and delivering a punch – which Julius arrested, his hand enveloping hers easily, his icy stare still locked onto her green eyes.

"Really…" He whispered – before tensing slightly, feeling energies within him flow that he hadn't needed to access in over five years. Throwing Carrie's hand away, he set his arms by his sides, the Regen slowly rebuilding his strength as he grasped desperately for his Limit Break, the energy within him teetering on the brink of collapse – before exploding forth, bathing the stadium with a bright yellow glow as he tossed his head back and screamed, bellowing his agony, his pain, his grief.

Carries took a step back, unsure of what to do as the man she had beaten almost to death suddenly displayed a power she had never encountered in all her life. She blanched as his energy reached her level, then climbed steadily over it – before shooting way beyond it, surpassing everything he had ever witnessed.

Julius looked down at her finally, his blond hair standing almost upright as the energy course off his body, the Regen still slowly repairing every wound, every injury. His teeth were bared, and his muscles jumped, almost excitedly, his body remembering the exhilarating feel of undeniable power and welcoming it with open arms, allowing it to flood through his system and oil it thoroughly.

Carrie took a step back…then another. She was feeling something…something she hadn't felt in years. "Is this…fear?" she whispered.

"No, my dear…" Julius said, his voice as clear as mountain water as he stepped forward, his icy blue eyes seeming to become even more shatteringly blue as they locked onto her eyes once more. "This is death."

At the last word Julius' left arm snaked out, gripping Carrie's shoulder with such ferocity that the fingers dug into the flesh, stabbing straight through the cloth and skin to dig deep into the muscle, causing Carrie to scream in agony. Lifting the woman up off the ground almost effortlessly, Julius drew his right arm back, the fist bursting into white flame as he screamed the Limit Break's name. "Holy War!!"

One second his fist was drawn back, the flames licking up and into the blue sky – the next it had erupted from Carrie's back, the hand gripping the spine, the body skewered straight onto Julius' arm trembling slightly as blood poured from the wound. Julius' face was like a stone mask as blood splattered onto his chest, arms, face – before looking up at Carrie's face, the expression of surprise and shock etched onto it for all eternity.

Withdrawing the arm with little effort, Julius' energy simply dissipated, floating away from him as he fell to the floor with Carrie's body in his arms, his sobs echoing around the stadium, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

*          *            *

Well, there you go.

Don't go away, however – Zell's fight, and the SeeD's escape, is coming up in the next chapter!!


	13. Knock, Knock, Knocking On Heaven's Door

Ch 13 – Knock, Knock, Knocking On Heavens Door

Zell stepped forward cautiously, approaching Julius' heaving body as his cries of anguish rang out around the silent stadium, the crowd of Crisps absolutely flabbergast at the power that this tiny man had emanated. Carrie's dead body was gripped tightly in Julius' arms, so tightly it seemed like it was almost bent out of shape, her lifeless eyes staring up into space, her arms flung around his neck limply, almost like she was hugging him back.

Zell placed a hand on the man's shoulder, his voice cracking as he spoke. "Dude…let her go."

Julius' sobbed reply was muffled by Carrie's bloodstained clothing. "I…cant."

"You gotta, dude. You gotta let her go."

Julius continued to cling onto Carrie's body for a second longer…before placing her down on the ground gently, his eyes looking down at the bloody, gaping hole in her chest, the look of terror and agony etched onto her face. He tore himself away from her, literally throwing himself at Zell, who caught him effortlessly, unable to say anything else.

They stood like that for a moment more, Zell watching as two Crisps came out of small doors and placed the corpse on a stretcher, picking up the spine and placing it next to the body too, before carrying it off out of the arena.

Zell pushed the taller man away from him gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Go to Squall. I'll be with you in a minute."

Julius nodded, still sobbing, before staggering towards the unconscious Squall, his eyes fixed on the ground before him, his steps seeming to take all the strength he could muster.

Zell watched him go, and took a step towards him as he paused, falling to his knees – to pick up his spectacles, the glass in the wire frames shattered, the wire bent almost completely around. Taking the glasses in his hands, Julius gripped them tightly to his bare chest – before laboriously standing to his feet and tottering the rest of his way to their corner, where he collapsed next to Squall. Falling to his knees, he simply keeled over, the anguish too much for him to bear, and he curled up into a ball, unable to even cry anymore – only able to grasp the glasses carefully, firmly, as if they were the last things on the planet holding his shredded sanity together.

Zell turned to Dianna, standing and looking down at Julius, her face full of shocked wonderment – but also containing a certain degree of disappointment. Zell could feel his anger burning within him, the rage slowly boiling beneath his soul, warming his spirit and making his heart burn. "You bitch…" He spat, looking up at Dianna. "You cold, cold bitch…"

She had placed Carrie and Julius together, confident in the love that Julius had felt. His blind loyalty to Veronica would obviously be conveyed to her – no matter what form she took. He had carried her in the block of ice for half a decade – his love was unmeasurable. If his battle against Carrie wouldn't destroy him, defending himself would have.

The Queen of the Crisps looked down at Zell, her eyes unreadable. "She was the second best fighter, Hunter. There was no choice in the matter."

"You bitch…" Zell repeated, taking a step forward, his hands erupting into flame – to stop as the sound of a gun being cocked echoed around the silent arena.

The man carrying the gun stepped out of the shadows within the box, his gun placed on the temple of Trish's head. "The other two are prepared to die, Zell – Emily especially. But I'm sure you don't want this one to die just yet."

Zell looked at Trish, her face full of horror and grief for Julius, her eyes darting over at the gun barrel placed almost delicately at her head – and looked down at Zell, her muffled cries pleading for him to stop.

Zell let out a slow breath, feeling his rage building even more as the flames died down. "Fine. Lets get this over with." He said, looking over at Form, who waited patiently in the centre of the arena.

*          *            *

Zell walked over to Form woodenly, feeling like somebody who had just been told he had cancer and had only three months to live. _Damn her…damn them all._ He thought to himself, feeling the anger building within him. Something told him to repress  the anger, force it down, make sure it didn't consume him – but Zell was never one for self-control when it came to these kinds of things. Dianna had played with his friend's love, and had caused his best friend to almost be killed– she would not go unpunished.

_That right, Hunter, feed the rage._ Diablos' voice muttered darkly, the tone almost gleeful. _Feel the rage burn you up inside…and release it. Just like you release it against Sam. Just like you released it against Sheran. Just like you released it against the soldiers in the Ragnarok._

Zell's mind felt like it was splitting, tearing in two, the emotional onslaught not being helped by Diablos' coaxing. _Damn you, demon. Suck on eggs. You'll not bend me._

_You forget, boy – I'm a part of you now. Just like a rock must grow from sand, you're rage must grow from me. Trust in me, boy – I'll deliver you from these evils, and everything else. You just have to trust me._

_The day I trust you, Diablos…_Zell pulsed so forcefully, so powerfully it made him wince, _Is the day hell freezes over._

*          *            *

Form stood patiently as Zell approached him, his arms crossed, his face full of compassion. "I am sorry for you friends plight."

Zell looked at him, feeling slightly surprised. "Come again?"

"I am sorry for your friend. He seems to be in grief over killing Carrie. I am offering my condolases."

Zell's face twisted in rage, his arm waving out before him as if to bat the offering away. "Damn your kind! You thrive on dead and carnage! I hope you all burn in hell like the devils you are!!"

Form sighed sadly, looking down at the green sand. "Pity…"

The final tone rang out over the speaker system connected to the stadium, and the announcer's voice rang clear. "_Fighters, you may begin…_"

That was all that Zell heard as he suddenly erupted from his spot, flying towards Form like a bat out of hell.

*          *            *

Dianna watched as the fight began, Zell's fist slamming into Form's stomach before smashing across the Crisp's face, the Crisp retaliating by kicking Zell's feet out from beneath him and smashing his fist into the SeeD's chest, sending him flying across the stadium to hammer straight through one of the pillars holding the stadium roof up, the green stone crumbling around Zell as he flew straight through the sheer rock and into the arena wall.

She had been amazed at his face when she had first seen him, basked in the green glow of Row's Curaga. Everything had been as she had remembered – his boyish blue eyes, his cute yet sharp nose, the smooth features of his face. The only things she hadn't recognised were the tattoo – the ugly thing slapped onto his face like a great, rusty wound – and the look in his eyes. His eyes had then been full of fear and confusion, something Bard would never had had in his eyes.

His eyes had always been full of the rage, of a warriors pride – just like the Hunter's only a moment ago.

She watched as Zell picked himself up effortlessly, as if the trip through the pillar hadn't even hurt him, and blasted a Firaga at the figure of Form, who was walking slowly toward the SeeD. Form slapped the Firaga away effortlessly, before drawing his hand back – and letting loose his own Firaga, this one heavier, more intense then Zell's, Zell having to put up a Shell to protect himself from the attack as it washed over him.

Watching Zell battle, Dianna suddenly felt a twinge of guilt – had she condemned them all?

No, she figured. If this man was half of Bard, then Form would be no match.

Sighing wistfully, she remembered…as the battle waged on.

*          *            *

Zell lowered his Shell – to watch as Form walked right up to him, grabbing him by the face and pushing it right into the wall that Zell had used to put his back against as the powerful Firagas had hammered him Shell, again and again and again.

Zell's head hammered into the wall, burying itself deep into the green crumbling stone – before Zell's leg kicked out, slamming straight into Form's stomach. The Crisp champion doubled over, the wind knocked out of him – and Zell took the opportunity to pull his head out of the wall. Shaking the green dust from his head, Zell looked down at Form – who suddenly reared up, his uppercut snapping Zell's head back and his body off it's feet.

Flipping over and over, his senses reeling with the attack, Zell quickly gathered his wits and held his hands out, the Blizaga blasting straight out and slamming into Form, blowing the Crisp over to the other end of the arena where he slammed into the wall, disappearing into the rocks like Zell's head had. Zell's job done, he allowed gravity to take over, crashing his body straight into the sandy ground painfully.

Grimacing but still moving, Zell flipped up to his feet – to spy the crater on the other end of the arena.

"Lets end this…" He muttered, drawing his hands back – before firing the Meltdown, the attack screaming through the air like a premenstrual banshee to _explode_ into he crater, reducing that side of the arena into rubble as the magic ignited brilliantly, blowing rocks and sand everywhere. People ducked and ran as rocks flew from all sides, the onslaught against the crater immense…

…Before Zell gasped in surprise, his arms being forced back slowly. Zell watched in shocked horror as Form stepped slowly from the eradicated crater, the Meltdown _caught squarely in his hands_!

"Your magic is nothing!" Form yelled over the howl of the magic – before lifting it up and over his head,, the Meltdown flying up into the air to explode with enough force to take down three Red Dragons.

Zell watched it fly up – before looking down at Form once more. Spitting on the ground with contempt, Zell ran forward, his steps making the sand beneath his pace explode out behind him. Form ran forward too, his footsteps creating miniature explosions as he ploughed his way towards the SeeD.

Both drew their arms back, their fists flying forward as they met in the centre – to hammer into each other, knuckle meeting knuckle, the sound of flesh hitting flesh echoing meatily around the stadium like someone hitting a sack of bone and flesh with another sack of bone and flesh. The force of the hit resonated outward, blasting the sand up beneath them and causing the rocky walls around them to literally crumble.

Spinning on his heel, Zell's foot ramming across Form's face once more, sending the Crisp spinning – to land perfectly, coming up and forward to smash a fist into Zell's face, knocking the SeeD back a few steps – before he grabbed out for Form's shirt, pulling him with a vicious head butt screaming "Booya!!" as he did.

Staggering back from the last attack, Form fell backwards – to be rammed into the ground by a vicious punch, the attack slamming straight into the Crisp's chest and blasting the sand out from around them, the crater growing to an immense size as Zell's fist dug deep into the chest – before crackling with electronic energy, the Thundaga coursing straight through his arm and directly into Form's chest, giving him the shock of a lifetime, the blue light flickering out from the crater as the smell of cooking flesh began to grow…

Before Form grabbed Zell's fist and threw him off, Zell's body spinning through the air to land outside the crater in a heap.

Form pulled himself up and out of the crater – to be launched back into it by an enraged Zell, the SeeD tackling him school-ground style and slamming him right back into the crater. Lifting himself up from Form's body, Zell began to pummel his face relentlessly, his fists making wet smacking noises as he rammed them again and again into Form's face, his rising screams increasing to a bellow of power as his attack continued uninhibited…

…Before Form smashed his palm into Zell's chest, the Thundaga shocking the life out of him before blowing him straight off of Form, Zell's limp body flying straight through the air – into a green wall untouched by their fight so far, Zell embedding himself almost a storey and a half from the ground…to fall unconscious.

*          *            *

Form pulled himself up and out of the crater once more, staggering slightly – before regain his footing, looking about to compose himself. The arena, cracked and dishevelled as it had been before, was no almost completely destroyed. The lesser of the Crisps had fled from the crowds, leaving only the foolhardy and the experienced still in their seats. Dianna and the prisoners still sat in the private box, Dianna still as cool as before – but now looking amused.

Searching, Form finally found Zell – stuck in the rocks like a diamond stuck into a silver pendant.

Walking forward slowly, Form raise his hand and took aim, the energy flashing around his hand building and forming quickly. Stopping at point-blank range, Form aimed the Flare at Zell's unconscious body, grasping his wrist for support – before the sand around him erupted as he fired the paramagic, blowing away from him and the magic as it shrieked towards Zell – to envelope him completely, blasting him straight through the rocks and up into the sky, the Flare blowing right out of the stadium.

*          *            *

_Wake up, Zell! You're about to die!_

_Wake up, please! Our survival depends on it!_

Consciousness rose in Zell – before being washed away by a searing pain surrounding his body, something pressing against his body crushing him against a powerful wind whilst at the same time tearing the flesh from his chest at an alarming rate.

He opened his eyes – to shut them once more, the searing pain suddenly skipping from his chest to his face, reducing it to nothing more then a smouldering mess.

_You're riding a Flare, Zell!! Get off it now!!_

Zell didn't know who was speaking to him, and he didn't care – all he cared about was doing as it told him. It was true – what little he had seen before the magic had robbed him of sight has indeed been Crisp slowly decreasing in size.

His body was laid out spreadeagled over the Flare's burning head, making almost any movement impossible…almost.

Summoning all the strength he could muster, Zell pushed his arms _into the Flare_ – before screaming the word of power, his voice slashing out over the sound of the rushing wind and the burning ball of death.

_"Holy!!"_

*          *            *

On the ground, Form held onto the Flare as long as he could – before letting it go, the magic blasting up and out of the arena into the air, following wherever Zell had gone, into the infinity that was space.

He realised that he was breathing heavily, and touching his face he winced in pain. Not that the notion of pain was old to him – he had felt pain almost continuously since he had been born – but he had never been hurt with such fury and animosity as the alien being had done to him.

That was, not of late.

Drawing his hand back and seeing it covered in his blood, he flicked it lightly, watching the droplets stain the green sand – before turning and looking up at his Queen. He placed his fist to his chest and bowed to her, before looking up and speaking. "I am victorious, my Queen."

"Evidently, Form." Dianna said, her voice surprisingly icy. "You may kill the other now."

He nodded curtly, before making his way over to the injured Squall and the mentally wrecked Julius. He did not favour killing defenceless people – but his Queen had demanded it, and he would follow her orders to the ends of the earth…for now. Already visions of him defeating her in single combat flashed behind his eyes, the graduar of the event as he was proclaimed king. He smiled slightly at the vision, and looked over at the two SeeDs…

…Before looking up, horrified, as a searing whiter light obliterated what was left of the ceiling and engulfed him completely, his screams reaching a crescendo as the Holy hammered directly into him.

*          *            *

Dianna blinked, shaking her head as she picked herself up off the floor. The explosion had come unexpectedly, the white light as blinding like nothing she had ever seen, the shockwave of the explosion blowing her and the others off their chairs and onto the ground.

Standing abruptly, she looked over the side – to see Form still standing, his hands and upper torso smoking and burnt almost beyond recognition – but standing nonetheless. His arms had been raised from when he had nullified the Holy, stopping it in it's tracks with sheer strength and will – but that hadn't kept him form the explosion.

The stadium, too, had been almost completely obliterated, the floor burnt to a glassy sheen from the sheer energy of the Holy wave, the walls and seating reduced to smoking rubble, the private box the only part of the stadium left standing.

She turned, amazed, to watch as her magical bodyguards and advisors, the ones holding the massive shell the entire time, crumble to dust, the Holy completely destroying them on the spot, the Shell only barely able to hold out before the Holy finally dissipated.

Suddenly a figure shot down form the blue sky, slamming straight into the glassy ground with  resounding _crack, _ the body hitting the ground with such a force that it sent a shockwave throughout the remains of the stadium.

Dianna ran to the edge of the box and looked down – to see the battered body of Zell lying in the middle of rhe crater, his clothing burnt and torn almost beyond recognition, his face and chest scorched almost black, his arms blistered and burnt almost beyond recognition. She looked on, mercifully wishing him dead – before he coughed, black smoke spouting from him mouth to curl up and wisp away in the breeze.

*          *            *

Zell rolled over onto his stomach – before instantly regretting it, the shards of shattered glass rubbing into his raw skin like someone running a cheese grater all over his chest and face.

"Oh gods…" He croaked. "I think I really did it this time…"

The sound of cracking glass sounded, and Zell looked up painfully – to see Form stagger forward.

Zell, using every tiny once of strength he had left, stood upright, swaying slightly. "Hyne…why wont you die?"

"I could…say the same…Zell…" Form coughed, blood running freely from his burnt lips as he moved up to the badly injured SeeD. "But…I still…need to…defeat you…"

With that the Crisp warrior raised his hand high, and Zell saw as he performed the action that the Crisp still had at least a quarter of his strength left. Zell was digging into his reserves just to _breathe_, let alone defend himself, and as the fist began to pull itself through the air towards him, he closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow, waiting for it all to end…

_No! Don't give up! You cant give up!!_ The voice screamed in Zell's head.

Form gasped as Zell's arm shot up, catching Form's attack squarely, and Zell raised his head – to shoot a look at Form, his eyes glowing steadily with an energy unseen in the Crisp universe for eons.

Suddenly the unshattered glass around them shattered – the rocks that were still whole crumbled – the very earth shook as Zell's screams began to rise, his wavering energy suddenly building, turning from a flickering flame into a full blown inferno.

Form watched as the glass surrounding them began to rise slowly into the air, the air itself seeming to grow thick as a paramagical energy washed over them all, Zell's screams still rising, his fist tightening it's grip on Form's hand – before his hand gave way, the bone shattering beneath Zell's powerful grip.

"You'll die _now_!!" Zell screamed, pulling his hand back. Drawing it back behind him, Form watched as it began to vibrate, the fist shaking steadily – before disappearing completely, the fist vanishing into a whir of movement, the forearm simply fading away as the fist moved at such speeds it could not be seen by the human eye.

_"Knocking!!" _ Zell yelled, pulling his vibrating fist back further, amazingly _increasing in speed_as he drew it back further, drawing on his Limit Break power.

"On!" Form watched, amazed, as the area where the invisible fist was supposed to be began to smoke a blue smoke, static electricity beginning to flash up and down Zell's arm as the energy he needed kept building. 

_"Heaven's!" _Zell's eyes widened as his fist began to move forward, ever so slowly, as if he was pulling the entire atmosphere of the planet along with him. His muscles felt like they were on fire, his wounds seeming to spew blood, his energy fluxuating around him in such a way as to hurt.

"Door!!" Zell's  fist suddenly slashed forward, the slowness he felt only nanoseconds before disappearing as his fist slammed straight into Form's chest, the hand literally passing through the chest to exit from the back. Amazingly, there was no blood, no rupturing skin, no bodily organs flying all over the place – Form looked completely fine, apart from having the nub of an arm rubbing against his chest. 

Then physics caught up with him. His chest exploded backward, his sternum, lungs, heart, oesophageus, windpipe and spine suddenly exploding from his back in a big bloody mess, his mouth unable to scream as his vital organs followed suit, sucked straight out in speeds incalculable – _to_ _disintegrate in mid air_, Zell's attack literally killing Form on the spot.

His energy waning, Zell withdrew his vibrating, electrostatically charged hand, watching as Form looked up at him in disbelief. Form blinked twice, before passing a hand _into his chest_, withdrawing it to see it covered in blood – before falling backwards, his body flopping to the floor like a wooden dummy.

Zell allowed his energy to return to their original levels, and looked up at Dianna softly, unable to even speak – before an ear-splitting crack resonated around the destroyed arena, Zell's arm literally bending in on itself, the skin tearing to reveal the white bone beneath splitting from the massive amounts of pressure place on it – before the fist-fighter fell to the ground, unconscious.

Dianna didn't know what had just happened – but she knew that she had a promise to fulfil.

*          *            *

Rinoa fell out of the hover-car onto the dusty ground, falling on top of the unconscious body of Zell. Looking up with anger in her eyes she watched as Dianna turned to Emily, the last of them.

They had all been bundled up by some Crisps and thrown unceremoniously into a hover-car, where they had been taken on a half-hour trip into the desert. The only people in the car were Dianna and another Crisp – the rest were the SeeDs, beaten, bloody, and unable to speak. Rinoa, Trish and Emily were still bound and gagged, their magic dampeners strapped to their necks not seeming to be giving way anytime soon. They reached their destination shortly – what seemed like an ancient ruins, the rocks and pillars depicting some kind of ancient race have lived here.

Emily was also tossed out of the car unceremoniously, before the man jumped out too, opening the trunk and pulling out all their packs, tossing them beside the pile of SeeDs.

"I think you'll find everything there…" Dianna said, crouching down next to Rinoa, her voice stony. "You're magic dampeners will be deactivated in a little while…you'd better hope you can free yourself before then. This place is the Crisp's main training ground – the last Lunar Cry hit here, you see. There are countless monsters roaming these ruins…well, good luck."

And with that, Dianna turned and jumped into the car, her male counterpart doing the same – before flying off, kicking dust up into Rinoa's face as they went.

*          *            *

Rinoa had had enough of this universe. It was a bleak, isolate, angry place, and the planet had gone through too much trouble for a race that didn't even care for it. It had hurt the ones she loved, and had almost killed her beloved Knight. Given the opportunity, she would destroy it in a heartbeat.

As the time passed, however, her anger died down to be replaced with anguish as she heard someone cough. Looking over at the pile next to her, she watched as Squall pulled himself out from an apathetic Julius, reduced to nothingness as he still clutched his glasses.

Squall's usually impassive features were twisted with agony, which was more then enough to make Rinoa cry. It saddened her even more to watch him look up at her and, painfully, pull himself out from the pile of beaten bodies and make his way slowly to her.

Please, Squall, save your strength! When my magic returns, I'll get us out of here!! 

"No…time…" he croaked, pulling himself forward. Rinoa saw that he was only using his arms to pull himself forward – and realised that his legs weren't moving.

_The wounds are incurable now…_She realised, horrified. _He's…he's crippled…_

Squall finally reached her, fumbling with her gag erratically, his black-gloved hands seeming to twitch irrationally. Finally pulling the piece of cloth from her mouth, he leaned forward and kissed her deeply, his bloodstained lips touching hers in one brief moment of passion – before he fainted, the strain of pulling himself forward too much for him.

Rinoa wailed out loud, looking down at him as the tears streamed out of her eyes, her mind suddenly shambling out of control. _He's dead Squall's dead he cant be he cant be he's my knight I don't believe it hes dead my Squally is dead I wont believe it I cant believe it Squall's dead I don't believe it…_

Suddenly the sound of a car began to hum from the distance, and Rinoa looked up with tear filled eyes to see Dianna screech to a halt just before her. Rinoa blinked in disbelief, unable to comprehend the reason behind it as Dianna jumped out of the car, leaving the door open – and pulling a knife out from her belt.

Rinoa suddenly understood. "Come to finish the job?!" She spat – before Dianna moved around her, cutting the bonds on her legs and hands.

"The Hearts will be coming soon – you must help me." Dianna said quickly, moving over to the bodies and, grabbing Julius, began to pull him into the ruins.

Rinoa just stood there, unable to understand the meaning of it – before Dianna looked up at her. "Damn you, help me! We must act quickly!!"

Shaking her head, Rinoa reached up and ripped the magic dampener off her throat, all her powers suddenly flowing back to her. Squeezing her eyes shut, she sighed audibly as her wings exploded from her back before she pointed at the packs and the rest of the team, all of them levitating. Floating/walking forward, Rinoa followed Dianna, the SeeDs Floating behind her.

*          *            *

They didn't need to go far before they came across something familiar. _An Arch…_Rinoa pulsed out loud, looking the magic portal over with curiosity – before turning to Dianna. _Why have you helped us?_

Dianna shook her head, waving her hands at Rinoa, her words exasperated. "I have no time to explain! Just activate it and go through!"

Rinoa looked at her suspiciously, her smoking white eyes narrowing thoughtfully…before turning to the Arch, looking the symbols over on the pillars and arch. _I will need time…about five minutes._

Dianna kicked at the ground angrily. "Dammit, that's too long!!"

_If I want to open it properly, then I need time to prepare._

The Crisp Queen sighed audibly…before looking upon at the winged creature floating before her. "Very well. I'll hold them off until you can make good your escape. But for Gods sake, hurry!!"

Rinoa nodded curtly, before turning to the Arch, raising her hands, electricity speaking off them as she began to sort and build the necessary energies.

*          *            *

They came sooner then Dianna expected, and she threw her hand out to blast the first car out of the air as the hover-convoy began to draw nearer to the ruins, the car flipping up and into the air as the Firaga destroyed it in a ball of flame. She threw a look at the Sorceress – "Hurry, damn you!!" – before throwing her other hand out, this one destroying yet another car as it neared them.

Rinoa finally drew and cast her final magic into the massive ball she held before her, and launched it at the Arch, the stone arch arresting the magic almost as soon as it had collided with the magical portal  - and sucked the energies into it, activating it and allowing passage to the next universe.

Rinoa didn't know where this universe led – but she hoped it was a good one. Psychically picking up the Orihalcon packs, she threw them in first, before turning and picking up Squall's body. Feeling a bright white tear trickle down her dirty cheek, Rinoa threw the body through, feeling a shockwave as Dianna fought off the Hearts behind her.

Throwing the rest of the SeeDs after Squall, Rinoa paused at Zell, turning to Dianna who had managed to force the Hearts back with her magic. _Come with us!_ Rinoa almost regretted to say. _You'll certainly die if you stay here!!_

"I was dead the moment I gave you the opportunity to escape, woman!" Dianna screamed over the roar of the wind…before looking down at the unconscious Zell, his bloodied features as calm as they were in regular sleep.

Dianna turned around fully, placing a hand on Zell's chest and tracing a finger across his cheek, a tear running down her face. "Goodbye Bard." She whispered, even Rinoa unable to hear the words – before she stood and roughly pushed Rinoa through the Arch, Zell following her through thanks to the psychic hold she had on him.

Turning and aiming high, Dianna then summoned all her energy and unleashed hell at the Arch, the Holy screaming out of her fingertips to blast a chunk out of the green rock. Almost instantly the blue portal which Rinoa created disappeared, and the Tidus itself fell to pieces, tumbling to the ground like building blocks smashed apart by an angry child.

Dianna watched as the Arch finally rested easy, before turning – to look up at ten Heart warriors, each clad in shining metal armour.

The first stepped forward. This one looked different from the others – instead of having the Orihalcon look like it was worn like a jumpsuit, this one was dressed in plates, like a knights armour. A red cloak flapped around his legs, latched onto the shoulders by twin golden brooches with winged women embossed on it. On his hands were gauntlets – one a shining silver, the other blood red, each etched with an insignia on the back of the palm.

The insignia of the Ehrgiez.

Dianna stood to her full height, breathless from battle the Hearts by herself. "I am Queen Dianna Forelore of the Crisps. When I die I will go to the hallways of Marvels, where I shall spend the rest of eternity feasting and dancing with my warrior brethren. Do your worst."

The Heart Commander looked down at her, his shining mask seeming to be considering something – before one of the gauntlets rose, the fingers open, the palm flat. "_So be it._" The robotic voice announced as the Flare erupted from his hand.

*          *            *

As the ash of the woman fell to the ground, The Heart Commander looked over the ruins, his mask making his face or thoughts unreadable.

One of his men ran forward, saluting formally. "_Commander Dincht, Sir! The energy readings confirm that the Sorceress did access and pass through the Tidus into the Immortal world! They've escaped, sir!_"

Commander Dincht turned to the man. Although the man was about an inch taller then him, The Heart Commander seemed to look down at him, as if he was inferior. "_They haven't escaped yet, soldier. They've simply hidden themselves for now._" He looked over at the crumbled Arch, before pointing at it. "_Take the Tidus and load it onto the truck. The Queen will wish to examine it._"

The man saluted efficiently, before gathering several of his comrades and moving to pick up the heavy stones.

*          *            *

Zell opened his eyes, squinting in the light, blinding as it was, before closing them again. _Damn, but that was one intense dream…_ He thought to himself.

"Ah, you're finally awake." A woman's voice said quietly. It was light, the tones tinkling out and into Zell's ear like honey pouring into a honey pot. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a million gil…" Zell murmured, wanting to roll over but finding he couldn't. "Why…why can't I move?"

"We've had to replace a lot of your epidermis, as well as reconstruct your muscle structure almost from beginning. It is best that you don't move, in case any of the new muscles tear."

"New muscles…?" Zell questioned, trying to open his eyes but finding he was unable to once more. "Why can't I see?"

"We've had to give you new eyes too. You're last ones were burnt almost straight through…you were lucky to be seeing out of them at all when you can through the Tidus. But don't you worry, we'll make sure you're completely recovered in no time."

Zell smiled then. "Oh, I get it. I'm still dreaming. I suppose this is the part where you tell me that Squall will be alright too?"

"Oh my yes. His stomach and most of his internal organs were almost completely eviscerated – but we'll be expecting a full recovery in about a day after you're out and about. Once again, we were amazed that he was still alive – it would have taken a miracle to survive such an injury."

"Yeah, he's a hard bastard, that Squall. Did you know that he survived a Flare blast point blank by one of the most powerful Sorceresses around?"

"I know now."

"Yeah, Squall's cool…hey, I'm kinda tired now. I suppose if I'm dreaming…feeling tired would mean…I'd be waking up…?"

"I've just increased your dose of anaesthetics. You need your rest, Mr. Dincht."

"Mr. Dincht…I like that…kinda…What's your…name?"

"My name is Aries, Mr. Dincht. Welcome to the Immortal World."

But Zell was out like a light.

*          *            *

Whoo!! Tantalising! 

_I would have liked to put all that into a single chapter – but since Tournament Revisited was getting pretty big in itself, I decided to let you read this one separately._

_How do you like Knocking On Heaven's Door? It came to me just as I was writing the descriptions of the move. Now it has a name. Although, unfortunately, it had the same side effects as My Final Heaven – if Zell uses it, it has dire consequences. He can still use the watered down version, as you've seen numerous times – but now it's an official Limit Break._

_Well, Semper Fi, peeps – and keep reading/reviewing!!_

_PS – if anybody didn't like me reducing the team to a pile of mush in the last battles, they can suck eggs. The SeeDs are facing off against super-powerful forces. Don't like it? Then tough. Oh, and if you find any spelling mistakes or grammar errors in this or the previous chapter, please don't point it out. I've been writing for a good eight hours straight, and I don't wanna go through proof-reading right now._


	14. Women Only

Ch 14 – Women Only

Dreams…

Dreams are what we make of them. What one person thinks of a dream could mean something completely different to another person. It's all about perspective. The perspective of one person of the world may not be the perspective of the world through the eyes of a different person.

So, when Zell turned, watching, as Angel was decapitated before being disintegrated by the ultra-powerful blast of a Flare, and realised that the person who had fired the blast was him…

Well, he freaked.

*          *          *

He awoke screaming, sitting straight up in his booth, sweat glistening on his face as his eyes shot open to look about him, assessing his situation.

This isn't the Balamb Infirmary…and this isn't my bedroom. Foreign environment. Crisps. I'm still with the Crisps.

He looked down at his body, contained in some kind of capsule-like bed. Numerous wires and tubes ran out of various needles and measuring tabs placed hap-hazardly around his chest and arms. The metallic walls of his bed looked menacingly clean, and as he looked into them, blinking to adjust his blurry vision, he saw his reflection.

And blanched, his face going completely white.

This was the problem, however, seeing as the left side of his face was usually covered in a dark black tattoo.

Usually.

_The bastards have taken my tattoo!!_ Zell's mind screamed.

He looked up, wide-eyed, as a woman in a flowing white gown walked into the room. "Ah, you're awake. And how are you feeling?" She said politely as she walked over to the bed.

Zell reacted instantly. Flipping up and over the side of the bed, his had his arm encircled around the woman's neck and her arms bent behind her body painfully in a sleeper hold. His mind was in a whirl as he tried to push through the fog that encircled it. The sudden rush out of the bed hadn't helped either – whatever they had been giving him wasn't doing his rudimentary motor skills any good, and he staggered back with the woman held in his arms to slam into the bed, leaning against it, his breaths coming out in ragged gasps.

The woman cried out in pain, and Zell instantly withdrew his arm around her throat and clamped her mouth shut.

Blinking hard and shaking his head in a vain attempt to reshuffle his mind, he listened hard, his eyes wide open even though the light stabbed into them like needles.

Besides his own shaky breaths and the girl's muffled cries, he heard nothing.

He looked down at the girl.  She was dressed in what Zell would interpret as an Estharian dress, the flowing white robes much like a regular Estharian house garment. She looked up at him with brown eyes filled with fear and tears, the look begging him to let go. He was exerting a little too much pressure, and relaxed a little, seeing that she was pretty much defenceless.

He shot a look at the doorway, realising that it was the standard slide-door – and the opening-stud was winking an inviting green. Quickly pushing the girl to the ground, he quickly ran to the door and moved through it, escaping the room in a flash.

The girl rubbed her throat and coughed, watching him go timidly.

*          *          *

Once outside the room Zell's surroundings weren't any clearer.

Everything was so damned _white_ – it was like one of those teeth-cleaning ads where the people had those damned white teeth and danced around in those white backgrounds. Zell hated those ads, and avoided them with a vengence.

The glaring starkness of everything wasn't helping his eyesight, and he leaned his back against the door, having to double over and lean on his knees, his energy seeming to be slowly draining away.

Looking down at his body, he realised that he still had most of the tubes and needles in him, and he quickly ripped them out, throwing them viciously to the ground. He still didn't know what they had given him – he hoped it hadn't been any kind of truth serum. Those ones sucked. But whatever it was, it was slowing him down, and he somehow figured that he needed to be alert in this strange place.

He was only dressed in a white pair of shorts, and as he walked down the corridor – hugging the wall to support his weight – he turned a corner to see more people coming his way.

He quickly ducked behind the corner again, crouching low. He had come to a T-junction – and though he didn't see anybody else coming in either of the other directions, he expected people to be coming any time soon.

The two women walked straight past him, wrapped in some kind of excited conversation between them, something about a boy who had been recently admitted to a room near them. Zell didn't pay them any heed as he quickly sneaked behind them, hoping to Hyne that they didn't look behind them as he spied another door.

Moving over to it, he palmed it open and ducked inside, shutting the door behind him. The room was almost completely pitch black, and finally he felt a little safe…

The lights came on suddenly with a loud _hum_, causing him to swing – to see something that would take his breath away.

It was the Gotland Peninsula, the area where the Tomb Of The Unknown King was. Straight flat fields of grass and flowers surrounded him for miles, the blue sky peppered with the occasional fluffy cloud. The sun shoe brightly, blinding him momentarily as he blinked his watery eyes, trying to adjust them to the sudden light. A light breeze helped as it picked up, the waves of the wind lapping over the wild grass, making it look like a rolling sea of green.

The stony ruins of the Tomb lay just a few yards to Zell's north, and Zell made his way there slowly, taking his time as he looked around. To his left a few Bite Bugs hovered playfully in the air, darting around each other like small children. He also spied a group of Gaylas as they flew across the sky in a V formation. _Must be mating season…_He found himself thinking…before shaking his head and raising his hands to cover his face. _Okay. Backtrack. What the hell happened?_

Arch. Crisps. Captured. Fight. Got ass whooped. Repercussions from…what was it? Knocking…Knocking On Heaven's Door? Damn…took me a while but I finally figured it out. But, where am I now? Obviously not Crisp…I don't think grass grows on Crisp…and defiantly not Te'Get, coz I can only see one sun…

He had finally reached the ruins, and sat down on one of the separate stones that had been blasted out of the ancient walls in some age-old battle from way before he was born. Now seated, he placed his head in his hands and sighed, his mind trying to figure out what the hell was going on. _But…if this is the Tomb then when did we get back to Gaia? I don't remember anything about going through an Arch…just something about…Immortals?_

"Ah, there you are."

He was up on his feet in an instant – before staggering back and sitting down again heavily, squinting up as another woman in a pure-white gown approached him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Where…where the hell am I?" He groaned, the effort to talk being more strenuous then he thought.

The woman lifted him up gently, draping his arm over her shoulder and leading him over to the small waterfall just outside the entrance to the tomb. "You're in the holodeck right now. It must've taken a mental reading of your most peaceful places and placed you in one."

Zell crouched next to the waterfall and cupped his hands under it before drinking greedily, gulping the water down and letting it spill over his lips to trail down his chin. The cool, fresh mountain spring helped, and he felt his vision clearing slightly as he looked up at his companion.

She looked down at him curiously with slightly worried blue eyes, her golden blond hair flowing around her beautiful face naturally. She held herself up well, her figure beneath the robe obviously showing that she kept in shape. She didn't look a day over eighteen either, the girlish charm that most teenagers held evident in that way she stood – with both hands clasped behind her back and her weight shifted slightly onto her right leg. Zell couldn't help but ask this beautiful woman – "I'm not dead, am I?"

"Oh my no." The woman replied in an accent that Zell couldn't place. "You were very close…but no. You're not dead."

"Oh good. You're not an angel then…" Zell said promptly, before looking up at her again. "Then…who are you?"

The woman giggled slightly, raising a hand to her full lips to stop herself. "My, you mustn't have woken very well…"

"Well, the last place I was in wasn't exactly the nicest place to be. You'll forgive me if I'm a little edgy."

She nodded curtly. "Of course." Moving over to a small bench beside the little waterfall she sat down gracefully, looking about herself in amazement. "Your world must be an amazing place…so full of life." She brushed her hand over the green moss covering the bench on which she sat and sighed. "It's a shame this is just a copy…"

Zell stood slowly, wavering slightly as he rose to his feet – but steadying himself. "You didn't answer my question. Who are you? Where am I? And more importantly, where are my friends?"

The woman smiled up at him. "Loyal…just like Rinoa said." She stood up then, moving so they faced each other, and bowed slightly. "My name is Aries Jordan. You are in the Immortal Universe. Your friends are fine and are recuperating from their escape from the Crisp Universe. Believe me, you needed the rest."

Zell blinked, frowning and shaking his head before placing a hand on it, losing his balance once more. "Its…it's all so blurry…I cant think straight…"

"Your body was a mess when you came in." Aries said softly, taking Zell by the hand and leading him over to the bench where she sat him down gently, before sitting next to him. "You had lost almost ninety percent of your skin to massive burns, and your left arm had been cut to shreds in a way I have never seen before. It's not surprising you are feeling a little…uneasy due to the procedures you've been through."

_Procedures?_ "What have you done to me?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Aries smiled at him. "Our universe is eons ahead of yours in the field of technology, Mr. Dincht. Our medical procedures have advanced so much that we can repair any wound, cure any illness. We were even able to rid you of that ugly black birthmark on the side of your face!"

Zell raised a hand to the left side of his face and looked at her wide-eyed, suddenly remembering the alien face staring back at him in the reflection of the metallic bed-wall. "My tattoo! You took my tattoo!! Why would you want to do that?!"

His words must've been a little harsher then he had meant, for Aries looked down at her hands suddenly, her words coming out meekly. "I thought you would've been pleased…we would have had to replace the skin there anyways…"

Zell sighed, before looking down at his hands too, his eyes still burning. "I'm…I'm sorry for shouting. You've…obviously saved my life. Hell, you saved all our lives! I'm…we're in your debt."

She looked up at him then, smiling at him warmly. He didn't know why, but he felt a kind of friendly glow coming off the girl, and Zell smiled back at her, before blinking hard, tears coming to his eyes once more. "Dammit…" He muttered. "Did you do something to my eyes as well?"

"Yes. We had to replace them with new ones. It'll take a few hours until the stinging dies down."

Zell frowned at that. "You…replaced them? What, you had some fresh ones sitting in the fridge marked 'ready for use'?"

Aries giggled again. "No…we just copied the basic tissue structure of your original ones and made duplicates."

Zell frowned at that too…before shrugging. "Bugger it, I give up. I'm too tired to think about this kinda stuff right now."

"Then we'd best get you back to your room, Mr. Dincht. We can monitor your progress from there…although from the way you decided to leave, you seem to be moving along faster then usual."

Zell allowed himself to be pulled up and lead over to the area which he first came in, scratching the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Oh, gods, I'm so sorry! Where'd that nurse go, I gotta apologise!!"

Aries giggled again as she opened up an invisible door, the white light blinding Zell once more. "I'm afraid you've frightened her off now. I doubt she'll be talking to any of your male team-mates in a while."

"What? What did _they_ do?"

Her voice became slightly wistful. "Oh, nothing. It's just that…our race hasn't seen a male in so long…"

Zell looked down at her with his watering eyes as she smiled up at him, frowning. "Haven't seen a male…ah, fuck it. I need more sleep."

*          *          *

Rinoa looked up as Aries walked into the hospital room, smiling at the woman as she sat down in the chair next to the young Sorceress. "How's Zell?"

Aries' smile grew a little bigger as she nodded slowly. "Energetic…for a man who shouldn't be able to move. Your kind has an amazingly high threshold for pain. I was surprised that he could stand, let alone knock down Tessa and make it all the way to the holodeck."

Rinoa smiled sadly. "Well, that's Zell for you…he was never one to sit around in bed for very long…" She looked down at the sleeping form of Squall, her hand tightly wrapped in his. "How…how long until…"

"He wakes? He should wake any time now. As long as you remind him not to move. He lost a lot more blood and muscle tissue then Mr. Dincht and Mr. Garner, so the procedure will take a few more hours to full set in."

"I cant thank you enough for helping us...it's a miracle." Rinoa said, looking over at the golden-haired beauty sitting next to her.

Rinoa had stumbled through the Arch with Zell, covered in dirt, her face streaked with glowing white tears, to find herself surrounded by woman dressed completely in white. The moon had shone down on the ragged bunch lying on the grass surrounding the Arch, and Rinoa had dumped Zell next to the others before turning to the women, her wings folding behind her as she turned her smoking gaze towards them. She hadn't known what to expect as the women approached her, wide-eyed – and asked if she was okay.

She had sat down on the ground then, her wings unfolding erratically behind her as she cried out loud, the glowing tears streaming down her face as the woman had surrounded her, taking her up by the hand and leading her off, the winged Sorceress crying like a baby as she was led from the Arch as the blue portal simple disappeared behind her, leaving the weathered stone Arch.

When she had woken up next she had been given clean clothes and nourishing food, doted on almost hand and foot, before Aries had talked to her.

After explaining a little about their history and how advanced their medical technology had been, Aries then took her to see Squall – where she stayed, Aries bringing her food as she sat by her Knight's side, her eyes almost constantly fixed on his sleeping features.

That had been two days ago, and she was waiting for Squall to wake. Trish came to visit every now and then, bursting with excitement as she described the tall shining buildings and the flourishing wildlife, as well as the amazing people. She looked so happy, all smiles, a look that Rinoa had forgotten that the thief had had within the duration of the mission. She always looked so distant, seeming to thinking almost all the time…

She heard no word from Emily, but from what Aries had told her, Emily had been taking in the sights too, unusually flanked by Trish, who seemed to be trying to pull her from her shell. Rinoa had asked Trish about this the last time she visited – but Trish just smiled at the Sorceress. "I was thinking about Squall, and how he's always so quiet…except when you're around. He actually smiles when you're around. So I figured, if Em had a friend she could talk to, then she'd relax a little more, open up a bit. She seems to respect me a little for some reason…maybe cause we both have unique Blues, I dunno…"

"So, have you made any progress?"

"A little. Yesterday she actually tried to lose me in a crowd – but all these women wear are white, so it wasn't hard to find her again. But after I put my foot down, we started to talk a little…"

Rinoa had smiled sadly, before looking down at Squall. "Well…make sure you don't push her too hard. From what Zell told me she's got some…problems."

Trish frowned at the remark. "Oh, come on. I knew they fought and all, but why do they hate each other so much? I mean, it's not like they're enemies or anything."

Rinoa had chuckled at that. "Lets just say Zell doesn't think very highly of her…which is understandable, seeing as what she did."

"So what did she do?! Why wont anybody tell me!!"

Rinoa had shrugged and dropped the subject.

Aries now smiled at her, sitting exactly where the thief had been sitting not a few hours ago, and waved her hand dismissively. "Oh no. You don't need to thank us. We're a peaceful race. We help people who are needy."

Rinoa nodded, looking down at the sleeping Squall…before looking back up at Aries. She had wanted to ask the question, but didn't know how to word it properly. _What would Squall ask? _She thought to herself. _He'd probably think and think about it until he's completely stressed out, then ask just to get it over with. No, I suppose I'll pull a Zell and be blunt. _"So…a race composed entirely of women?" Rinoa asked almost nonchalantly. "How…er…how do you…"

"How do we survive without anybody to spread out genes?" Aries finished, her grin large on her pretty face. "Its…a little complicated…but I'll try to tell you our story."

Aries launched into a history lesson once more, starting from the very beginning. "A few eons ago our race consisted of males and females respectively, and I'm very sure that it was much like your world, from what you told me – man, more or less, ruled over woman."

"I suppose it would have been much like your world in the respect that equality was becoming rampant too. But…man, as always, needed to flew their muscles, so they fought their wars."

"As the years passed and the technology grew, more and more ways to kill each other were becoming apparent to the males. They began with experiments regarding the energy fields surrounding us all – you call it paramagic. When they were finished with those experiments, they began to study the DNA sequences of our people, trying to find out how to eradicate their enemies on the genetic level."

"As these experiments grew and flourished, many medical and living standards were becoming extinct for better and improved ones – diseases were being eradicated by the dozens per day, people were having to visit hospitals less and less – until, finally, the scientists figured out the cure for dying."

"Now, our race, back then, were obviously warring with each other – and not only did the sides with medical advancements flourish, but their weaponry divisions were becoming more and more ruthless. Soon we were able to destroy each other with a simple press of a switch and then poof – the person targeted would vanish in a puff of atoms. But the introduction of immortality changed that."

"People were dying and coming right back, and of course, our race was breeding the whole time. Soon, the entire planet was becoming full, the cities not being able to withstand the sheer numbers of the people living in them. Our recycle system was introduced just around the time that the boom was taking off, so we weren't short of food – but soon the numbers outweighed the demand."

"So, finally, a radical neutral country figured out a way to shorten the load a little – namely eradicating the population of the world completely. These suicidal people were completely insane, and worse, were well organised, and in no time they had found a way to kill off every single being on the planet in less then a day, using a virus which attacked the body from the skin and evaporated it completely. They called the virus 'Freedom'."

"But at the last second somebody switched the formula of Freedom in a way that nobody could tell who would survive or not. Nobody really knew what the side-effects would be, so in an insane act of desperation, these terrorists decided to go along with the initial plan and take their chances. A majority of the planets population being wiped out was a little less then what they were aiming for, but Freedom would still do it's job."

"To tell the truth, I can't remember how they spread it so quickly. Some claim that they were able to place canisters of Freedom all over the major food points in all the cities of the world, others think that it was a mass carpet spraying using military jets…either way, the terrorists got their wish, and genocide occurred…to the male population."

"We recently found out that Freedom had been altered in such a way that it only attacked the humans with the Y chromosome in their DNA, thus eradicating all the males of our species. Obviously, this was a major blow to the terrorists – they had only managed to halve the population, thus, in their eyes, failing miserably. I believe they all committed suicide afterwards."

"So, with all the males gone, all the females were alone. Nobody to spread their genes, nobody to allow diversity to roam in our civilisation. What you see before you is how everything was thousands of years ago – we haven't progressed a single step since that day in relations to culture. We were, however, able to form peace treaties with all the other countries on the planet. There is no more war, and since there are no babies to feed and the recyclers can sustain us indefinitely, there is no poverty. We did away with the money system years ago, and now concentrate on things like music, drama, science – something to add a little diversity to our lives."

"But I've been babbling…to answer your question…I'd have to show you."

Rinoa frowned, watching as Aries stood and beckoned for her to follow. "Come."

Enraptured by the amazing story told to her by the beautiful woman, Rinoa stood almost immediately – pausing only to kiss Squall on the cheek and to whisper a, "Wait for me," before following Aries out of the small room.

*          *          *

They had walked only a little way before coming to a door marked with the strange symbols of the Immortal's language. It still surprised Rinoa that, no matter where they went, all the races spoke Giain…of course, they had counter-measures for those kinds of situations – Rinoa remembered Squall muttering something about Julius having some kind of program in his little computer – but thankfully they hadn't needed to use it.

Aries pulled her hands from where she had tucked them in her robes and pressed her hand against a little plate to the side of the door. The plate lit up a bright green, and the door slid open, allowing them acess to a small room.

"This is the de-con room…" Aries said as the door slid shut behind them noiselessly. "See the tiny holes on the walls and ceiling? They blow refined air onto the people within the room, de-contaminating their clothing and skin. The procedure ought to only last a few seconds…"

Rinoa cocked an eyebrow and pushed her hair back from where it was getting in her eyes. "What air? I don't feel anything?"

Aries simply stood, silent, before looking up at Rinoa. "All done. This way."

Rinoa, feeling slightly confused, followed Aries as another door on the other side of the room slid open, this one allowing them into another small room, this one about the size of a living room. Large, person-sized capsules lined the walls, some with their doors open, others closed, occupied by the shrouded figures behind the smoked glass.

The Sorceress walked up to an occupied one, looking in amazement as she traced her hand down the glass. "What…what are they?"

Aries frowned. "It's hard to put into words…I suppose you could call them incubation chambers?"

"What do they do?"

Aries walked up to Rinoa, standing beside her and looking at the chamber with her. "Repair lost or damaged tissue. Replaces exhausted cells. Almost anything that concerns the human body. As long as we have access to these, we cannot die. As soon as a person becomes old, they simply step into a chamber and in a few days they are good as new. It's called Rebirth."

Rinoa blinked at Aries, wide-eyed. "You're kidding!!"

"Why would I? We aren't called Immortals for a reason."

Rinoa shook her head. "It's…unbelievable. To tell the truth, I didn't really think this kind of thing was possible.."

Aries shrugged and smile simply. "It is for us."

Rinoa looked down at her feet. "It…it must be sad…knowing that you can do all this…and not being able to have your loved one beside you…"

"What do you mean? I don't understand?" The Immortal said, cocking her head to the side and frowning in confusion.

Rinoa looked up, smiling shyly. "You know…not having your boyfriend by your side…"

"Oh, I was only a child when Freedom hit our people. I grew up in a woman's society."

"So…you have a girlfriend?"

Aries smiled again. "Yes. We've been together for almost three thousand year now. Even the people who had husbands or boyfriends eventually turned to other woman for comfort. It is very rare that a woman doesn't have a mate now. My kind of relationship isn't so rare, in fact we have people who have been together from the beginning!"

Rinoa stared at the woman standing beside her. _Even with all my powers I could never accomplish what she's been doing her entire life…_ "But…what about children?"

Aries looked down sadly. "The downside of our race…I said before, our culture hasn't really progressed much since the Freedom was released. There have been no new minds to help advance our race – all we have are the same people, the same minds. There is only so much the one person can advance, even with the Rebirth technology." She looked at Rinoa once more. "That is why we are so excited. We finally have something to look forward to, now that you are here."

Rinoa blinked, suddenly wary. "Um…I don't think you understand. Our own world will be under attack soon by someone…very bad. As soon as the boys are able to get going we'll have to leave."

Aries looked down at the ground once more. "Oh…that's sad. I was hoping…" Her voice trailed off as a distant look came over her beautiful features.

Rinoa looked at the girl, frowning slightly. "What? What were you hoping?"

Aries looked up once more, before looking down again. She wrung her hands together, obviously anxious to be out with something that had been plaguing her. "Well…to be blunt…we were hoping that the boys would…"

Her words were suddenly cut short as something beeped in her robes. Aries looked almost relieved as she reached into her folds and withdrew a small device, activating it. The device looked like an ordinary black mobile phone, except almost completely flat. Aries held it in her hand and pressed a button, and a small screen seemed to unfold from the top of the device, revealing another woman's face. "Grand Mistress." The woman said with reverence.

"Hello Trinity." Aries greeted with a smile. "How are they doing?"

"They're almost awake now. I'm calling to see if madam Heartilly would like to be present when Mr. Leonhart awoke. She was very adamant about being present."

Aries looked up at Rinoa, not needing to ask as the Sorceress nodded idiotically and almost ran to the door. "We're in the Rebirth chambers right now. We will be there promptly." She said, before switching the phone off.

Walking next to Rinoa, she palmed the door open, and they both walked in. The door slid shut behind them as Rinoa turned to Aries. "What did she mean by 'Grand Mistress.'"

Aries smiled. "Even societies of woman need leaders. Doctors profiled me as a child before Freedom hit, and my profile revealed that I would be good as a leader, political or otherwise. I raised to the Grand Mistress status just a few millennia ago. I will remain so until a new Grand Mistress is chosen to success me. It provides a little diversity in our way of life then."

*          *          *

Rinoa ran to Squall's bed as the door opened, Aries walking silently in and closing the door behind them as the Sorceress ran to her Knight, taking up his hand. She immediately looked up at the nurse beside her, her tone full of worry. "Is he still okay? He didn't wake did he? I'm not late, am I?"

The nurse smiled down at the worried woman. "He hasn't woken. In fact, he should wake just about…"

Her voice trailed off as the warrior opened his eyes, looking about the room, his cold grey eyes tracing across the foreign environment with no reactions whatsoever. As soon as his eyes locked onto Rinoa's, however, a small smile spread across his lips. "Hey." He murmured.

Rinoa burst into tears, jumping up and flinging her arms around the gunblader's neck, squeezing the life out of him. "Oh Squall I was _so_ worried you almost died but we came through the Arch and we were _saved_ by these _nice_ ladies although they speak a bit weird and they dress funny but that's cool because they have _so_ much cool stuff and they cant _die_! Isn't that _amazing_ they just keep popping back up _gods_ it's good to hear your voice again how do you feel are you alright can I get you anything…"

Squall pried her arms off from around his neck and pushed her away slightly, looking into her eyes. "Rin…calm down. I just woke up. I need to gather my bearings."

Rinoa nodded meekly and sat back down in her chair, the tears still flowing as she gripped his hand defiantly, as if to never let go.

Squall looked around the room and spied Aries, who was standing near the door, seeming not to want to come any closer. Squall narrowed his eyes in thought, and grunted in surprise, as she seemed to cringe away from his gaze. _She's…afraid?_ "You can come closer. I wont hurt you." He said slowly, gently, in his usual stoic voice.

She walked a little closer, seeming hesitant. "I…I apologise. You are the second male I have ever talked to in a long, long time. You will forgive me if the comparisons between the two of you are…_vast_."

"You mean Zell?" Squall asked.

Aries nodded in reply.

"You needn't fear either Zell or me. We mean you no harm. And I must apologise in advance for anything Zell's done since he's awoken." Squall narrowed his eyes. "He seems to have a tendency for putting more then his foot into things."

"I have met Mr. Dincht. He was still under the influence of the anaesthetics we gave him…but I gathered that he is a gentle soul."

Squall snorted the comment with a smile. "Zell is far from gentle in my opinion…but he has a good heart." He frowned slightly. "Where am I?"

*          *          *

Zell sat on the edge of the bed, feeling sorry for himself. _I didn't mean to hurt the poor girl! Now these people are probably gonna hate me…dammit, why do I always put my foot into things!!_

His body had only just shrugged off the effect of the anaesthetics, and his eyes had almost comepltly recovered. He didn't know what to do now, however. The woman who had lead him back had disabled the opening stud, effectively imprisoning him. Now that his strength was back, however, he knew that he could bust down the door as easily as ever – but he hesitated. Taking such drastic actions would not go down, and he didn't want these people to hate him anymore then they already did.

Standing and walking into an adjoining bathroom, Zell washed his face from the sink in the wall, before looking at this face, unblemished by his tattoo.

He was amazed at the alienation it seemed to create. It was like looking at a completely new face, the one looking back at him through the mirror not him – but obviously him at the same time. Not only that, his blue eyes, bright as they had been, were now almost unnaturally bright, the blue seemingly as fresh as the day he was born.

Not only that, but looking down at his body revealed something else.

_All _his scars were gone. Not one remained. All he could see was the chiselled muscle structure of his body, and nothing else. No sword scars. No bullet wounds. No burn marks. It was like he had swapped his skin for someone else, and that frightened him too. He had grown accustomed to the scars over the years, finding them almost satisfying – these were the marks that showed what he had sacrificed for his Garden, his time, and his universe. The scars were rewards that SeeD medals or martial arts titles couldn't precede – they showed that he had faced his adversaries and that he hadn't chickened out, hadn't run. He had stood firm.

But, all that said, he had to admit one thing – he looked _damn_ good without them.

He was flexing his unscarred muscles once more in the mirror when there had been a knock on the door. "Mr. Dincht? Are you alright in there?" A female voice called.

Zell suddenly felt self-conscious, and chided himself mentally for being so egotistic as he turned to the door. "Uh, yeah – just gonna wash up." He called.

"Very well."

"Okay…thanks." He looked around for a towel, already spying the shower recess in the corner of the room. Finding a nice white fluffy one, he jumped into the recess, flinging his shorts across the bathroom to land on the sink.

He looked down at the handle for the shower. There was only one, causing him to frown. Zell liked his showers _hot_ – scalding hot, so hot the entire room filled with steam in seconds. When he turned the one handle, however, a gentle stream of warmer-then-lukewarm water came from the nozzle. _Ah well…at least I can get myself wet._ He thought to himself, quickly washing himself and opening the door – to find a woman standing in the room.

He froze on the spot, dripping wet, his hand still gripping the handle of the shower-door, his eyes wide as the woman looked him up and down. He had never seen her before, yet here she was – regarding him almost quizzically. She looked over him with an almost clinical eye, before frowning. "I don't see what the big deal is." She muttered. "You're only bigger then us in body structure and muscle tone."

Zell's face hadn't moved from his shocked look, but he heard his voice echo around the room. "That's because I'm a guy."

The woman nodded slowly, looking down, her eyes widening and her eyebrows rising. "So that's what that looks like!" She exclaimed – before frowning again. "Really, I don't see the big deal."

Zell suddenly regained control of his body, blinking twice – before frowning. "Uh, are you alright? I'd like to have a bit of privacy!"

The woman bowed curtly. "I apologise. I was just curious, that's all."

"Well, be curious outside, dammit!"

The woman snorted at him, before turning and walking out of the room, closing the door behind her with a pout. Zell released the poor shower-door handle, which had been crushed in a reflex action when he saw the woman, and sighed. "And I thought the Crisps were weird…"

*          *          *

Squall was having troubles of his own.

Finally assuring the three woman that he was alright, he had pulled the tubes and needles out of his arms and chest and walked into the bathroom, closely followed by Rinoa, who had wanted to go in with him but was denied access – he needed to be alone for a second.

Now in the bathroom, he looked down at his goal – the toilet.

This toilet was different from the ones on Gaia, Crisp and Te'Get. It was designed in the usual Galbadian sitting position, unlike the Estharian squat ones – but had no flush handle. Not only that, the seat didn't rise – instead the bowl was enlarged to allow only sitting to be performed when discharging waste.

_I suppose that would be logical…being a planet compose of women doesn't really mean the seat would be left up much…_He thought to himself, before setting himself to the task.

After some careful aiming and an embarrassing positioning, he had finally done his business – but now how did he flush the thing? He couldn't see any handle…

Crouching near the seat, he looked underneath the toilet – to realise that the seat depressed when you sat on it. Standing and pressing his hand down on the seat, he lifted them – to watch as the toilet flushed.

_Interesting…_ he thought to himself as he looked over at the mirror – to frown.

His scar was gone.

Interesting… 

*          *          *

"Mr. Garner? Mr. Garner, please answer me. Your friends are awake now, you can go see them."

The woman looked down at the man sadly, his body turned in his bed to look away from her. His blond hair, unhindered by a band to hold it back, sat in an unruly fashion around his head, covering his face. There was almost no movement at all except for the rhythmic breathing that his body did automatically.

"Don't you want to go see your friend, Mr. Garner?" The woman asked again, looking down at the small computer hooked to the devices stuck into his flesh and the monitors trained on the bed. According to the readings he was awake and fully recovered, and his brain-waves reacted when she spoke – the reactions were harsh, but she knew he could hear her. "Please Mr. Garner, get out of bed. It is unhealthy to stay in there for too long. You might get bedsores."

Julius continued to ignore her, his eyes staring forward, not saying a word. All he could see was light flowing around her face as he slammed his fist deep into her chest, blasting out her back with her spine gripped tightly in his fist, so tightly he could feel the bone cutting deep into his hand.

He opened the hand now, looking at the palm as he flexed his fingers. The skin was clean, no sign of any scars or wounds whatsoever.

He sighed audibly and tried to remember her voice once more.

Behind him the nurse worried on, uncertain of what to do. She checked his status once more, before pulling a small black tab out of the folds of her robe and activating it. "Grand Mistriss, we seem to have a problem with Mr. Garner…"

*          *          *

They all met in Julius' room, the SeeDs coming together for the first time since their escape. It had been almost two days since they had all been together, but the changes were remarkable.

Squall, now dressed in his usual black leather outfit with the white-collared coat, looked at Zell with a mixture of confusion and wonder beneath his stony face.

Zell, also, now dressed in his usual black tee-shirt/shorts combo, looked at Squall, openly fascinated. Reaching forward tentatively once more, he pressed his finger deep into the space between the gunblader's eyebrows, almost as if searching for the scar that had been present.

Squall frowned, annoyed, and swatted Zell's hand away with his gloved hand again. "Stop that…" He muttered.

Trish sat on the edge of Julius' bed, looking up at Squall and Zell's antics before looking down at Julius once more. She had been dressed in the Immortals' white robes, her long blond hair braided down in the Immortal's fashion. She looked down with worry at the hacker, who continued to lie in the bed, not moving, his face as impassive as Squall's.

Emily sat at the edge of the room, seemingly lost in thought as she looked at the hacker's stony face. The last two days had been amazingly productive for her – as soon as she had been healed by the Immortal's technology, she had immediately left the hospital to explore, much like she had done in Te'Get, not bothering to stay in one place for very long.

She had seen many weird things during her time out – seeing the world without men seemed to put a lot of things into perspective. She watched as the woman laughed with each other, interacting with one another in ways that she only wished she could do. But she had been burned before…

The Thief had followed her almost the entire time like a lost puppy, trailing her with almost intolerable doggedness. When she had first gone out, Emily had tried to lose her – to only find her appearing just a few meters behind her, the smoke of her teleport evaporating around her slowly. She had meekly waved at her, and Emily had simply walked away. After a few hours of persecution, however, she had turned to confront the thief. "Why do you follow me!? Don't you see I wish to be alone?!"

Trish had simply looked down at her feet and smiled meekly. "I only thought that you would want somebody to talk to…"

"If I wanted to talk to something, I'd talk to a wall – not you." Emily had said emotionlessly – before watching as Trish looked up.

"You don't mean that. And to prove it, I'm going to follow you for the rest of the day. So there."

Emily had smiled at that, respecting her stubbornness and her perseverance, before stepping up close, her hands glowing purple with Status magic. "I can Stop you…" She had muttered…before something within her stopped her.

What's the harm? You can just ignore her. You've done it to countless people before.

So with that they had walked through the majestic city together, watching the people mingle, taking the stares that the Immortals threw at them with a grain of salt. Trish even managed to pull Emily into a clothes shop, to Emily's dislike. For one reason or another, however, she had patronised the girl and watched as she tried on all sorts of different garbs, grunting in approval for some, giving a steely stare with the ones that looked, for lack of a better word, stupid.

She was surprise to find herself enjoying the time with the blond thief – and that scared her. Never again… she had thought as Trish had said her goodbyes that night – but in the morning the girl had been waiting for her, dragging her back out into the streets to look around the glorious city once more.

Now she looked at the girl in contempt, watching as she placed a hand on Julius' shoulder in anxious worry. How dare you make me feel like this…how dare you do this to me…how dare you… She wanted to scream. She wanted to grab the girl by her beautiful long hair and strangle her with it, she wanted to poke those glittery blue eyes out of their sockets, she wanted to eradicate her gorgeous face from existence…and before she might have.

But now…after spending the time they had spent together…something stayed her hand.

So now she watched, impassive, as Rinoa finally withdrew her hand from Julius' temple and brush a lick of hair from her face, looking up sadly at the team. "Its…Veronica." She said quietly. "He's…he's…" Her voice trailed off, unable to say any more.

Zell felt something twist as he looked down at the man in the bed, shaking his head slowly. "I…I should have done something, dammit…I should have razed that whole damned building to the ground…"

"Don't be stupid." Squall said, looking down at Julius. "If you'd have done that, you would have gotten us all killed. No, what he did was as noble as anything us Sorceress Hero's have done…he dug deep and found what he knew to be true, and used that. Even if it was on a subconscious level." He shook his head and sighed. "Now he has to come to grips with it."

Trish shook her head, squeezing Julius' shoulder gently, addressing the tall hacker. "Hey…Julius…you saved us all. Doesn't that…doesn't that mean anything to you?"

There was no answer.

Emily snorted. "He's gone. We should leave him here and continue. Somebody else can use that machine of his…it shouldn't be that hard."

Zell shook his head. "No. We're not leaving one of our own in a foreign Universe. We need to get him up and about."

Aries, who had been standing next to the bed and monitoring his vitals, hadn't spoken up till now. "No. His brainwaves suggest a deep trauma. Moving him physically might disrupt the natural order of his mind…we might have done irreparable damage to it already thanks to the healing procedures."

Squall leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and sighing. "That's it, then. We're stuck until he either decides to join us again or we decide to leave him here."


	15. Reunions And Creations

Ch 15 – Reunions And Creations…

Zell greedily chomped down on the hotdog, amazed at how good it tasted.

He had been assigned a room near the other SeeDs until Julius decided to become manageable, and now sitting in the kitchen – which consisted of what looked like a small fridge and a small eating area – he marvelled at the technology the Immortals had acquired.

The small fridge device wasn't actually a fridge – it was a recycler. The woman who had assigned him the room had shown him the basics of it – simply speak into the little microphone, think real hard, and your meal ought to appear in the compartment in two to three minutes.

He had approached the contraption slowly, almost as if approaching a snarling Anacondour, and had spoke hesitantly into the microphone, asking for three hotdogs, please. Standing back and thinking about hotdogs for a few seconds, he watched as a small screen lit up with the picture of three steaming Balamb Garden hotdogs, and suddenly there was a ping, before the smell of juicy sausage and mustard/tomato sauce filled the air.

That had been nine hotdogs ago, and he still wasn't full. He hadn't eaten anything for almost four days thanks to the Crisps capturing him and the recovery period of the Immortal's 'procedures', and to say the least, he was _hungry_.

He looked up from hotdog number ten as a small chime emitted from the front door, and clutching the dog in his hand he strolled over to the door and palmed it open to reveal Aries and several other women. "Hey guys!" Zell said happily, swallowing before speaking. "What's up?"

The Immortal group frowned collectively. "I…don't understand the phrase…" one woman asked Aries quietly, to which Aries smiled and spoke back to her like a teacher speaking to a student.

"It's their culture. They're very open minded in their universe."

This seemed to satisfy the woman, and they looked at Zell once more, seeming to be waiting of something. Zell stared back at them for a second, happily munching away – before slapping himself in the head and stepping back. "Aiyaaa, where's my manners gone!! Come in, please."

The women entered Zell's little apartment, and Zell closed the door before turning to the little group. There was about four of them, all of them dressed in the usual flowing robes with a little sash wrapped around their middle. Each one was excessively beautiful, and Zell smiled. _If Angel saw me in this situation she'd kill me…_ "So, what can I get you ladies? Anything to drink or eat? You'll have to bear with me though – you got some really cool gadgets that I don't quite know how to use just yet…"

Aries smiled, before stepping forward. "Thankyou Zell, but we're not here for food. We're here to talk about your friend."

"Ah…" Zell said, knowing exactly who she was talking about. He sighed, before walking over to little living room opposite the front door and sitting down heavily on the couch, biting into his hotdog sadly. "It's a bit wrong, hey…" He muttered, making sure he chewed and swallowed before speaking. _Manners before a lady_, as his Ma would say.

"Yes…wrong…" Aries said, not understanding the use of the word but getting the general gist of it, before sitting down next to him. She clasped her hands together and looked him in the eye. "Well…we may have a solution to his problem."

Zell looked up, his eyes wide, his hotdog forgotten. "How?"

Aries looked down for a second…before turning to the woman who had sat down beside her. "Where are _my_ manners…I haven't introduced you. This is Lorelei, my partner. She's in charge of Rebirth, as well as most of the civic procedures within the city."

"Pleased to meet you…" Lorelei said stonily. Unlike Aries, she had long, firy red hair which tumbled down around her head in a way that natural beauty could allow. Her eyes locked onto Zell's soft ones, and he felt somewhat intimidated by the way she held his gaze. Her eyes were a soft brown with flecks of shining silver, which gave her an otherworldly look about her as she stared at him. She, quite obviously, didn't think highly of him.

Aries laughed nervously. "You'll have to forgive her manner. Lorelei thinks we shouldn't proceed with anymore negotiations with you…" She looked back at the woman, the look almost bitingly cold. "She believes that we should send you back to whence you came."

Lorelei sighed. "I don't believe that. I'm only concerned with the population in general. Having males interact with our society will only bring problems. We've already been having reports of Old Ones wanting to meet them…"

Zell frowned, interrupting. "Old Ones? Who are they?"

Aries looked back at Zell. "Women who were present during the Freedom incident. There aren't many left, since they mostly choose not to be Reborn…but there are some left who are waiting for the male presence to be re-introduced into our society."

Zell frowned, confused. "Well…maybe that would be a good thing?" The stares he got back from Aries and Lorelei suggest that he had said something bad, and he shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "I mean…it's a person choice wether or not they want something…what's so wrong with introducing a male presence?"

Lorelei leaned forward, her voice ice cold. "Mr. Dincht, maybe you haven't realised, but our society hasn't got any war, poverty, crime, or anything that your world has. According to you, you are on a mission to save your world by travelling to an alternate universe to kill a Sorceress? How do you know that she is a threat?"

Zell sighed, sitting back in his chair. "I've had hands-on experience with Sorceresses, and believe me when I tell you - they aren't good news."

"But your friend Rinoa is a Sorceress too, isn't she? Doesn't that make her a threat also?"

Zell sighed again. "Rinoa's gone through a lot of shit because of being a Sorceress, but I know for a fact that she's a good person. The person we're gunning for has attacked us numerous times during our journey, and her foot soldiers have told us several times that they intend to invade our universe very soon. Our mission is to stop this from happening."

This seemed to satisfy the woman, who sat back in her seat with a content look on her face. Aries frowned at her, before gesturing to the two other women. "And these are Imogen and Candise. They are scientists who are studying our genetic structures in the hopes of finding ways to improve our Immortality even further…as well as other things."

Zell stood and held out his hand, which the women both shook, their grips soft, their words of greeting tumbling out of their mouths even softer, as if nervous to be in his presence. Zell smiled and returned their greetings politely, trying to ignore the obvious tenseness within the three women. Aries seemed to be the only one relaxed around him, and he wondered why for a second – before looking at Aries. "So, what does this have to do with Julius?"

Aries beckoned to Candise, who stepped forward, her voice almost whispered as she began to speak. "When you came through the Arch you had your packs thrown through first, as well as the woman in ice. We were shocked when we uncovered her, and when Miss Heartilly explained her reason for being, we launched our revival proceedings immediately. We're not sure about much of the actual physical injuries she sustained, or how long she had been in the ice for, so we were wondering wether or not you could help us."

Zell sighed, before sitting down and placing his head in his hands. _Even with all their technology, these people don't know how to revive her. Maybe we ought to leave Julius here…_

"Mr. Dincht."

Zell looked up at Lorelei.

"Any information can help. We are more then certain we can, at the very least, improve her condition."

"There is no way you can improve her condition." Zell said bluntly, looking down at his hands. "Because she had already been dead for a day. Our people are good at magic, and we have several powerful revival spells at our disposal – but after a set time the person's life-force – or soul, if you want to call it that – leaves the body, and they cannot be revived after that. The longest listed time a person has ever remained dead was for only half-an-hour – and that was me." He watched as the women around him widened their eyes before continuing. "Julius busted into the morgue where she was kept and froze her body before taking it with him. Now that was almost five years ago, and so far he hasn't progressed one step further in a bid to revive her. If you do anything to her, be warned that he wont be very happy."

Aries took Zell's hand in hers, talking softly. "Believe me when we say that we can. We've had people who have been dead for almost a week who have been revived."

Zell looked at her with sadness, his voice cracking. "If anything goes wrong…"

"Nothing will."

Zell sighed. _What do you do, man? Julius is already a vegetable, and will remain that way until drastic action is taken. Veronica's soul is _gone_ – but these people may just have the chance that the blonde bastard has been waiting for. So what do you do, dude?_

_What do you do?_

*          *          *

Zell stood back, watching like a hawk as the women in the white robes crowded around the icicle that was Veronica, examining the frozen corpse with little devices and taking measurements. Aries and Lorelei were standing just to his right, overseeing the procedure, Lorelei obviously in control. Zell watched her work, and had to say, she commanded the respect out of her workers that Zell would ask from his, an easy relationship obviously between them all. He also watched as Aries and Lore held hands and whispered to each other privately, and recognised the look they each had when they looked at each other – before realising that they were as uncertain of this as he was. It didn't help ease his tension.

Julius stood to his right, his hands hung limply by his sides, his back pressed against the wall, his eyes fixed solidly on the ground. When Zell and Squall hadn't been able to bring him out of his stupor enough to walk, it had been up to Zell to carry the man to the Rebirth chamber. When they had reached the inside of the capsule room Zell had propped the man up against the wall carefully, making sure he was in looking view of the proceedings.

When they had brought in Veronica on a dolly he had straightened a little, the first sign of intelligent life he had shown since the battle, and stole small glances at the figure shrouded in ice.

Imogen stood back, snapping her futuristic-looking measurement device closed and looking at the woman standing next to the capsule. "Alright. Turn it on and put her in."

The capsule they had had to use was one bigger then usual, thanks to the ice surrounding Veronica, and was able to hold two men easily. The capsule stood upright, and the woman simply wheeled her body into it and closed the door, the plexiglass showing the corpse within.

Lorelei walked up to a small set of buttons and readings next to the door an pressed a button. This caused the capsule to extract itself from the wall, moving out from the rows and leaning back gently until it was at a 45 degree angle. This done, she approached the left of the contraption and flipped open a small type-pad on the side, the screen hidden behind the pad flashing to life. "Beginning melting procedure." She stated.

The capsule glowed a bright red, and everyone watched as the ice around Veronica's body grew smaller and smaller, the ice turning to water, then the water evaporating until there was nothing left but Veronica's naked body within the capsule, resting lightly on the cushions within. As the red glow receded quickly Zell avoided his gaze out of respect – but saw the way her legs were mangled, almost flat from the immense weight that the unexploded missile had done when it had crushed them, as well as spying her torn belly. Her skin was an unhealthy pale hue, her lips a tinge of blue, her brown hair matted around her face wetly thanks to the ice.

Aries moved to stand near Zell, whispering into his ear. "This is where we take away the ice surrounding her. It's the most risky part of the procedure, seeing as the ice has also moved into her body and throughout her system."

Zell heard Julius sob out loud, and looked over to watch him slide down to his knees, his frame heaving. Zell's hand was on the hacker's shoulder immediately, providing him something to grasp onto as well as showing Julius that everything was going to be okay…he thought.

"Evaporation complete…beginning nano-tech introduction." Lorelei said succinctly, tapping a few buttons before hitting a command key.

There was a small thump as something was released into the capsule, the pressure within the device increasing with the introduced air particles. Zell, still trying to respect his friend's privacy, couldn't help but look as Veronica's skin suddenly became covered in something shining brightly, sparking like sunlight bouncing off the water's surface. His face went from one of sadness to one of wonderment as the shining mass worked its way from the top down, moving from her hair to her toes. Every inch the writhing mass moved revealed a new piece of flesh, pink as if it was brand new.

"This is where we introduce the nano-bots to her system." Aries said quietly. "It may seem like a lot, but this is only just a preliminary introduction – repairing damaged epidermis from the ice, repairing the walls of her stomach to allow the internal organs to be re-made within, and so forth."

Zell nodded slowly, watching as what she said came true – although the nano's rid the body of it's pallor, Veronica's legs still remained completely flat. The tears around the legs, abdomen and stomach were completely closed, however - as well as Rinoa could have done with a Sorceress-boosted Curaga.

"Introduction complete…beginning In-Depth repairs." Lorelei muttered, tapping in a few more commands.

Now the mass swarmed up Veronica's body – before entering through the mouth, ears, nose and eyes, the shining swarms disappearing completely into her body.

Julius cried out and stood abruptly – but Zell pushed him back down, his hand firmly placed on the man's shoulder. "It'll be right, man." Zell said softly. "Just wait."

Aries looked down at Julius, who was watching the event with rising anxiety, and decided to speak. "Now the nanobots are repairing her internal organs and bone structure, pulling atoms out of thin air in order to piece the structures together. It's in this way that we can repair any wound or injury – the nano-tech can simply create something out of thin air that it needs, or knit the ragged edges back together at a molecular – no, _atomic_ level."

Veronica's stomach, looking slightly flat, suddenly swelled slightly, the muscles and skin suddenly pushed forward by the organs being created out of thin air _within the body._ The swelling continued down her waist, filling out her abdomen and legs, the knees popping gout suddenly as the shins became more firm, the bones and meat filling the skin of the legs as easily as someone pouring cement into a bag.

"I-D procedures…complete. Evacuating nano-bots and readying electro-magnetic charge." Lorelei stated.

The nanobots suddenly began to flood out of Veronica's mouth, leaving her body and flowing back into the capsule, disappearing into the seams of the cushions like water flowing through cracks in the ground.

Several long, sharp looking prongs suddenly snapped out from the back of the capsule, surrounding Veronica's frame like a ring of tiny shards of glass. 

"Beginning electro-magnetic charge…now."

There was a low hum from the back of the capsule – before tiny blue electrical discharges began to waft over the girl's body, lacing up and down the skin.

"What's happening now?" Zell whispered to Aries.

"The body is being slowly introduced to the electricity that the body runs on. Lorelei is running small electrical discharges through her skin and allowing them to course through the body."

Zell blinked, before frowning. "Won't that cook her?"

"No. The charges we use are barely enough to shock your skin…it would be feeling like running your hand over the front of a view-screen after it's been on for a long time."

"Static…" Zell muttered to himself, now watching the procedure openly. He knew all about the electrical energies within the human body – they were key components in the paramagic that the SeeDs were able to use. Not only that, but a person's Limit Break was mostly charged by the electro-magnetic energies within a person, thus the reason that blue static coursed all over a person's body whenever a Limit Break was used. Zell knew about it because Baku, his master, had taught him all about the human 'Chi', which was what the energy within humans, was called. Zell called it 'Wa'. "…So you guys are effectively charged Veronica's Wa? Impressive…"

Aries frowned at the comment, but decided not to question it. The proceedings were almost complete.

"Electro-magnetic charge…complete." Lorelei said, looking up at Veronica with a relieved sigh. "Reanimation will begin in five…four…three…two…one…"

There was a sudden thump as a small, trembling, female hand suddenly slammed onto the plexiglass of the capsule. _From the inside!!_

*          *          *

Julius was on his feet in an instant. "Veronica!!" He cried.

Veronica's eyes were wide open and terrified, her hazel eyes filled with horror as she looked about her with confusion. She slapped her hand against the inside of the capsule again, urgently this time.

Julius was up on his feet and at the entrance of the capsule in an instant, placing his hands over the places where she had placed hers. He saw the recognition within the terror in her eyes, as well as the pleading look she gave him. Turning on Lorelei he pointed his finger at the door. "Open it! She can't breathe!!"

"Relax, Mr. Garner. She'll be perfectly fine. The computer just has to finish it's analyses of her body and then we'll allow her to…"

Julius stepped forward, the rage clear in his eyes. "I don't wanna hear that!? She's in pain!! Do something – _now_!!"

Lorelei stepped back, startled at the sudden mood-swing of the tall blond male – and stumbled, throwing her hand out to steady herself. The hand flew out – to catch on the type-pad of the capsule, her fingers crashing onto the keys.

There was an ominous hum from the capsule as Veronica's thumps on the door began to grow more and more frantic – before she was suddenly surrounded by the flying silver nano-bots, the shining swarms enveloping her naked body as easily as a fog.

Julius' face went a deathly pale as the thumps were replaced by a soft, muffled scream – before he was in front of the door, his fingers scrabbling at the edges of the door, trying to find purchase.

"Everybody out!!" Lorelei suddenly screamed, racing and grabbing Aries by the shoulder and dragging her through the door into the clean-room.

Zell, who had been too shocked to react when he had seen the woman from the ice tap against the glass of the door pitifully, stepped forward to help his friend – before the woman surrounding the capsule rammed into him, forcing him back – and into the clean room, the door slamming down as they all sprawled onto the floor.

Zell was up on his feet in an instant, running up to the door and palming the door panel – to be greeted by an angry red signal and a harsh 'bzzzzz'. He turned to Aries and Lorelei, both of whom looked deathly pale, and pointed at the door. "How do I get this open?!"

"We…we cant!" Aries cried, gripping Lorelei tightly. "The door is sealed in case anything tries to escape the capsules during the reanimation sequence!"

"Dammit!!" Zell screamed, turning and looking through the tiny porthole…to watch as the hacker desperately tried to open the door.

*          *          *

Within the Rebirth chamber, Julius' mind was running on high-octane adrenaline, simultaneously cursing himself for being so stupidly self-loathing whilst trying desperately to smash his way into the capsule.

He had heard Veronica's pitiful thumps on the glass, had seen her face as she had stared up at him, had watched, horrified, as the panicked look on her face had turned to _sheer terror _as the nano-bots began to fill the capsule from the inside.

Now he looked about the door desperately, trying to find the latch – opening stud – _anything_ – to get to his love.

*          *          *

Zell watched as Julius desperately tried to find some way to open the door, and slammed his fist into the door in front of him. "Damn! Can't we help him?!"

"No! We cant' go back in until the cleaning crew arrives!!" Imogen said shakily, trembling in the presence of such power.

Lorelei and Aries walked up to watch Julius through the porthole with Zell, gasping in surprise as he tried to dig his fingers into the seams of the door. "There's no way he can open that, it's indestructible metal!!" Lorelei breathed, clutching to Aries a little more.

*          *          *

Within the Rebirth chamber Julius had resorted to drastic measures.

Tracing his fingers quickly over the front of the capsule, he found the seam of the door, and began to press his fingers into the edges, trying to find purchase, trying to dig his fingers into the metal.

He pushed forward with all his might, his hearing seeming to magnify Veronica's desperate breathes as the low hum of the nano-bots began to build over it. His face dripped with perspiration, his muscles bugling tightly. The capsule, on it's forty-five degree angle, was starting to be pushed back into the wall, the metal covering the concrete beginning to bend inwards as Julius pushed forward with all his might, his breathes beginning to labour. He could feel his blood pumping through his heart, coursing through his muscles and feeding them massive quantities of oxygen, the blood coursing through his brain seeming to pump directly into his temple, making it stab painfully as he squeezed his eyes shut and grind his teeth together, his face reddening even more with the effort…

…before his fingers suddenly dug into the metal like soft butter, allowing him to pull back with all his might – and _rip the door right from it's hinges_ to fly back and slam into the wall behind him_, embedding_ itself into the roof.

*          *          *

As soon as the door flew back the room was suddenly filled with shining silver, the nanobots smashing into Julius's body as if it was a wave of water, the excess nano's flying off to the sides – as a silver figure emerged from the capsule to fall into the man's arms.

Zell watched as the two figures were consumed by the raging torrent of shining lights, his anxiety reaching all new highs – before something clicked in his mind. _Nano__-bots…_ He turned to Lorelei. "Nano bots – those are tiny robots, right?" he asked quickly.

"That's right…" Was all Lorelei got out – before Zell stepped forward, his face stony.

"I believe…" He muttered as electricity began to course down his arms to trace around his hands, "It is time for you girls to get out."

A level of intensity in his voice hammered into the women, and they immediately ran for the other exit – as Zell balled his fist, channelling his paramagic so that it ran through his fingertips, effectively making his hand a live charge of electricity. Junction complete, he waited until he heard the door behind him slide into place – before pulling his fist back.

"Here goes…" He muttered – before slamming his fist into the door.

The result surprised even him. The metal buckled under his power, the electricity coursing through the door to be discharged through to the other side. It laced straight through everything within the room as it touched the first nano-bot and was suddenly sent to every other one, the Thundaga tracing through the dense field of microscopically-small medical robots.

The air was suddenly still, the waves of silver suddenly turning to a calm grey – before the ash simply dissipated, disappearing to reveal Julius and Veronica on the ground, Julius covering the woman's body with his as best he could.

*          *          *

Julius opened his eyes slowly, feeling the burns of the Thundaga lance painfully in his back as he looked up to see the door dent inwards once more, Zell's determined face showing behind the glass porthole – before the door suddenly blew open, flying straight over the two on the ground to slam into the ruin capsule behind them. 

The door slammed into the capsule and was rebounded, teetered on it's edge for a second before falling forward. Julius covered Veronica's body as best he could as the heavy door flew down to meet them – before being caught by a bruise hand, the knuckles split and bleeding.

Julius looked up to see a very relieved Zell, his hand trailing blood down his arm as he smiled down at the hacker. "Hey pal. Thought you might've needed a hand."

Julius smiled up at Zell – before looking down at the frail creature he had protected.

Veronica's eyes were closed, her body unmoving.

Tears welled in his eyes – before Julius felt something move beneath him, feeling it with his bare chest, and feeling his heart sore with each electrical impulse sent by his skin to signal the feeling to his brain.

_Her heartbeat._

*          *          *

Zell looked down at his hand encased in the small capsule as the tiny nano-bots covered his knuckles. There was a small tingling sensation as the bots knit together the tiny cuts and tears he had made when bashing down the door, before the bots retreated back to wherever they came from. A small hiss emitted from the capsule, before it opened and released his hand, good as new.

He flexed his hand and punched his fist into the palm of his other hand, before smiling up at Lorelei. "Amazing…"

She smiled down at him, closing the capsule and placing it back into her med-kit box.

The entire place had become swarmed with a rubber-suited cleaning crew shortly after Zell's save, running strange beeping wands over everyone's bodies and talking to each other in some strangle garbled language from what Zell could hear from their yellow suits. They took readings of everyone in the cleaning-room and the room outside, before running their wands through the Rebirth chamber.

They paused as they ran their devices over the still-shocked Julius and his unconscious Veronica, their small wands beeping wildly as they traced the devices over her naked body – before they wrapped her in a blanket and placed her on a hover-tray.

Julius had asked where they were taking her, and was told that they could join them, and had disappeared after them, not leaving his love's side for an instant.

That had been a while ago, and now Zell waited for any word from him or the evac-team about the test results being conducted on Veronica's body. Aries had promised that she would return after finding out what had happened and had vanished after the team, leaving Zell with Lorelei and the other girls.

Zell had sat down at a table near the entrance to the clean-room, and Lorelei had kindly asked if he had wanted first-aid for his hand.

Now she smiled down at him openly, the hostility that had been evident before seeming to retreat back. "What you did was rash and incredibly risky…but was incredibly brave." She said uncertainly, placing the first-aid kit back in the little niche from where she had grabbed it from. "You saved them in there."

"All in a days work, ma'am." Zell said with a grin, standing and bowing to her.

Lorelei placed a hand to her lips as she giggled, before composing herself quickly. "I guess you can be trusted…for now." She stated – before bowing to him and walking out of the room, the door sliding shut behind her with a soft click, leaving Zell effectively alone.

Zell's smile didn't waver an inch as he scratched the back of his neck. "Apology accepted." He said to no one in particular.

*          *          *

Trish looked over at Emily over the table they sat at and tried to wonder what she was thinking.

They had been walking around all day, and had now just walked into a restaurant to have a snack and watch the sun set on the amazing horizon.

Aries had pumped Trish of all she could about her planet, and Trish had sold it as effectively as she could, trying to remember the con-man's rule 'elevate elevate elevate the truth!!' – and so described the rolling seas, the lush plant-life, the amazing cites and people, in as much detail as she possibly could – but nothing seemed to compare to what she saw right now.

Almost tirelessly rising skyscrapers – taking skyscrapers to an all new meaning – rose into the sky without stopping for breath. The grounds around them were teaming with plant-life, the actual ground in-between the tall buildings and apartment blocks covered in soft green grass. Placed strategically around the buildings were also several large bushes, each cut with magnificent artistry to depict a woman in some kind of position, or an animal in all its glory. These large green sculptures seemed to corner every building, and each one Trish had seen was uniquely unique.

Not only that, but soft, haunting music seemed to be in fashion these days, wafting through the city and in every store and shop them came across. At first it had seemed out of place – but you got used to it after a while, and was actually kind of soothing.

Emily ate her food slowly, methodically, Trish had discovered, taking small sips of her drink as she ate small bits at a time.

Unlike Trish. Much like Zell, she was raised in an environment that if you didn't eat fast, you didn't get seconds – thus the reason that she crammed her bun into her mouth as fast as she could, her jaws pumping the food into mulch before she took a long draw of her cold beverage to wash it all down, the draught causing the glass to become half full as she slammed it down on the table and belched loudly. "Damn, this is good stuff!!" She said to Emily, not noticing the stares that the Immortals gave them as they ate quietly. They wondered between themselves why the Immortal was sitting with the woman in the strange clothing, and wondered why she had such bad manners unlike the woman in the strange clothing, and wondered why they hadn't seen either of them around this area before.

"It's adequate…" Emily said quietly, taking another bite of her sandwich and chewing slowly, not looking up at Trish, instead concentrating on the food before her. _If you don't look at her then you don't have to get the feelings…_ She thought to herself.

_But you like those feelings, don't you? _Another part of her whispered in her mind. _Go on. Make a move. These people wont mind. You're with kindred spirits here._

_No._

_C'mon, there's nothing wrong with it._

_No. They don't understand the pain. Nobody ever understands the pain._

_Why should they? They haven't been burned like you have…_

Trish said something again, causing Emily to look up suddenly. "What?"

"I said 'what are you thinking about?' Hyne, you look so much like Squall when you do that…getting all 'thoughtful' and stuff…"

Emily pouted, taking another bite of her sandwich and looking down again. After they had left Zell and Julius to be led away to begin with Veronica, Squall and Rinoa had made themselves scarce – leaving the two of them alone. Emily had tried to escape subtly – before Trish had grabbed her arm and pulled her off for another walk around the city. Emily knew better to try and disappear again – Trish would only use the damned Blue again. So she put up with the insult of being with such an inferior fighter and decided to tag along willingly. Hell, it was the only entertainment she could find in this boring world…

"Hello? Are you even listening to me?" Trish said with a frown.

Emily rolled her eyes and sighed. "No, I'm not." She stated, before finishing the last of her sandwich and drinking the last sip of her drink. Her meal finished, she stood and walked out of the little bay which they sat in

"Hey! Wait up!!" Trish muttered, stuffing the rest of her bun in her mouth and swallowing it whole before slamming the rest of her drink down. They had found out recently that money wasn't a problem here – currency didn't exist in this universe. This raised many questions in Trish's mind, as to why the waitresses and the cooks worked for nothing – but decided not to dwell, deleting the questions in her mind as soon as they popped up. _Leave the thinking to someone like Squall…_She thought to herself as she ran after the Goth.

*          *          *

She didn't have to go far. She found the pale woman sitting near the closest sculpture, the sculpture depicting a woman raising her hands into the air, as if flinging something away from her…or setting something free.

Trish walked up to Emily slowly before settling down next to her, allowing her robes to fall around her naturally. She was used to some long clothing, having had to under-cover in Esthar for many a job, but these robes were majestically beautiful. The main colour was white, but the fashion that was 'in' was a coloured sash which went around the midriff, and a silk-like scarf which was wrapped gently around the throat.

Emily had decided not to dress in the native's clothing, deciding to remain in her usual dark leather, not matter what the clime or time. In Crisp she had worn the leather clothing all the way through, and hadn't sweated a drop. Even Squall hadn't been able to pull that off, and the two were dressed almost the same – except Squall had his coat with the puffy white collar.

The Goth was looking down at some women who were walking hand-in-hand together down the road. They talked quietly to each other, an as they passed the two SeeDs it was evident that the words were full of feeling and passion. As they passed they smiled politely to the two girls, Trish returning the smile, Emily looking away.

Trish looked over at Emily and smiled. "You think it's weird?" She asked.

"In a world where there are no men, I believe it wouldn't be so uncommon." Emily stated, her voice oddly resigned.

Trish frowned. Ever since she had decided to tag along with Trish, Emily hadn't spoken in the usual aggravating tones that she had during their previous journeys through Te'Get and Crisp. If anything, she had seemed…sad.

"Are you alright?" Trish asked.

"I'm fine." Emily muttered, still not turning to look at the bone thief.

Trish looked down at her hands. "No, I mean…are you alright, alright?"

Emily's shoulders heaved, signifying a sigh. "What the hell does that mean?" Her voice asked.

"I mean…you seem so sad. If you wanna talk about anything…you know, personal…you can tell me…"

"Why? So you can tell anybody who would listen?"

The words weren't filled with malice – they were delivered simply, as if the Goth was stating a fact. Trish frowned. "No. You can trust me."

There was no reply from the woman.

"C'mon…ah, forget it. If you don't wanna talk, I'm not going to force you."

They sat in silent for a few minutes, dusk beginning to form around them slowly as the gentle sun of this planet set slowly, revealing the twinkling stars. Trish looked up at them and sighed. "What I wouldn't give…" She said absently – before stopping herself.

Emily turned slightly, looking over at the thief. "What?"

Trish blushed hotly. "Nothing…"

This got the Goth's attention, and she turned right around, looking Trish dead in the eyes. "If you start a sentence you musty finish it. Continue."

"It's nothing! Really!!" Trish exclaimed, sudden very embarrassed.

"Tell me." Emily muttered.

Trish sighed. "What I wouldn't give for someone to share this with." She blurted, feeling very embarrassed at the moment.

Emily frowned…before shaking her head and turning back around to stare into space, chuckling as she went.

"What? What's so damn funny?" Trish huffed, trying to regain some composure.

Emily shook her head again. "Aren't _we_ 'sharing this'?" she said over her shoulder.

Trish rolled her eyes. "When I share I meant with someone I like in _that_ way, you know…" her voice trailed off as she realised that she had put her foot into it once more, and she blushed hotly once more.

Emily shook her head and sighed again.

Trish began to blast off her mouth, speaking rapidly to fill the uneasy silence that was about to build. "Well, it's not like we're sharing this anyways…I mean, I'm actually looking at it, while you're studying the ground. I mean, there's all this beauty and tenderness in the air, the fantastic view, and you're just sitting there. At least you could watch the sun go down instead of watching your shadow get bigger…"

Her voice was suddenly cut off as the leather-clad girl whirled to plant her lips to hers, the kiss over as quick as it was delivered. Emily withdrew instantly as she saw the shock on Trish's face, her face becoming a mask of pale, unemotional stone.

Trish raised a couple of fingers to her lips; still not believe that the SeeD had done that. Her mouth had tasted like copper, the irony taste still lingering on her tongue. "Why…why did you…"

Emily shrugged, turning back around. "It was the easiest way to shut you up." She muttered unconvincingly, her voice and body shuddering with the effort to convey the lie. 

_Why? Why? Why? _Her mind screamed at her. _Why do I feel like this? Why? It goes against everything I've believed in! It goes against all my principals! It goes against my lifestyle!! Why? Why? Why?_

She felt the hand on her shoulder grip her softly, and turned to accept the kiss that was given, Trish's mouth tasting like something sweet, whilst at the same time seeming to contain something that she hadn't tasted in years.

_A sense of knowing._

*          *          *

Two Immortals who were sitting on the opposite side of the clearing watched as the two SeeDs kissed passionately, Emily's hand running across to grasp Trish's hand tightly, as if to never let go.

The first woman turned to the other. "How cute. It's amazing how love works out." She said, her voice wistful.

The second woman smiled. "Yes. But aren't those the girls who came through the Arch in the forest?"

"I believe so…do you think their world is much like ours?"

"Well, I spoke to Jane, and she said that there are men in their world. And not only that, but the men actually have relationships with the women!!"

"Really?!" The first women exclaimed, astonished. "But…if they can have a man, then why are they doing that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" The second woman said with a smile, looking over at Emily and Trish as they stood and walked away, hand in hand. "They're in love…"

*          *          *

_Wow. Who woulda guessed this would happen?! I bet you didn't!! (points to some random person sitting across the room)_

_Random Person: No, actually, I didn't…and why are you in my house?!_

_(Stares at person before turning back to keyboard) Well, folks, that's this chapter wrapped up! I'd like to (finally) thank two – or should I say three? – of my fans for allowing her to appear in this Fic – Aries Jordan! Say hello people!! And her girlfriend/fiancée Lorelei!! She doesn't read my work but I'll forgive her cause she sounds like a nice girl! _

_Without these chicks I don't think I could have described a world of women. Thank you, and congratulations once more._

_And finally – another honourable mention – me mate Matt Richards, for contributing countless ideas and random quotes for me to use to my disposal. Dude, most of this stuff I couldn't have done without you – you're a godsend when it comes to making shit up._

_Next chapter, expect something so freaky, so compelling, so friggin out of left field that I'm pretty sure most of you will not be able to see it coming!! Suffice to say, a big fuck-off battle will be happening next chapter or two – so keep reading!! Booya!!_


	16. My Gods

Ch 16 – My Gods…

Julius looked down at her sleeping form and once again thanked Hyne for providing him with the solution to his quest. It had taken him five years and so much anguish and pain…but he had finally achieved it. Even when people had told him he was crazy, even when people had hunted him like a dog, even when he had run for his life, he had always looked forward to this day. She was alive and he had found a way to do it. She was with him again.

The evac-team had mercifully allowed him to stay with her as they took blood samples and measurements of her body for some reason unknown to Julius. The nurse had told him that she was sleeping, and he had seen the signs of REM sleep on her face so he knew she was – so why were they all so concerned about her?

The door whooshed open to reveal Squall, Rinoa and Zell, the Sorceress Heros walking into the room quietly. Squall and Rinoa moved to stand near the other end of the bed, Zell moving over to Julius – to be swept up in a bear hug which made his bones crack audibly and his breath to be crushed form his lungs, the 6'1" Julius pulling the 5'5" fighter right off the ground.

"Thankyou, man…" Julius blubbed, squeezing tighter.

Zell's new eyes felt like they were about to pop out of their repaired sockets, and a part of his mind wondered if the Immortals could reproduce new ones for him if Julius didn't let go soon. Instead of bearing the torture for much longer he tapped his finger on the taller man's back urgently, looking into Julius' face as the taller man looked down at him. "Air…" He gasped urgently, and Julius dropped Zell to cough and splutter, Julius' laughter echoing around the room heartily.

"Sorry, man, but…you saved us in there!" Julius said, walking back and sitting down next to Veronica, who slept on besides the hijinx. "We're in your debt!"

"Don't mention it…" Zell choked as his breath returned and his face went back to it's original colour. He seemed to remember being crushed like that when he had first met Ward – the two kindred sprits had a lot in common, and when Zell had revealed that Ellone had transported Zell's consciousness to the fat man's mind, he had become overwhelmed and bear-hugged Zell, severely damaging the fighter for several days afterwards.

Squall looked down at Veronica with a small smile on his face. "Impressive. I'm surprised that your stubbornness has finally paid off." He said quietly – before Rinoa elbowed him in the gut.

"Don't mind him…" Rinoa said sweetly. "Although I had the impression that not many people thought you would have succeeded in your quest."

"Yeah, there have been the doubters…" Julius said sadly…before smiling again. "And Squall is right, it was mostly stubbornness that got me through. But I've finally achieved my goal. We can finally pick up where we left off."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Zell asked.

"To tell the truth, I don't know. When she wakes up I suppose she'll want to know what's going on and where we are, which will be a bit of a shock to her…but I'm sure we'll figure something out."

"Are you going to continue with the mission?" Squall asked suddenly and bluntly, receiving another jab in the gut from Rinoa.

The question was asked, however, and Julius looked down at his hands. "I…I don't have the answer to that question. I'll…I'll have to think about it." He looked up at Zell. "That's alright, isn't it?"

Zell scoffed the comment, waving his hand with a smile as if to bat it out of the air. "Oh, hell yeah! Take your time, man!" He said jovially. "What's important is what you want, man."

"Thanks…" Julius said…before looking down at Veronica. "My gods…"

Veronica had her eyes open and looked around slowly, blinking as if the light hurt. "Julius? Where are we? Who are these people?"

Julius grasped her hand immediately as gently as he could and frowned. "Um…well…its…um, hard to…um…" He floundered. He hadn't heard her voice – her _real _voice – in years, and the sound of it sent shivers down his spine. He didn't know what to say to her either – everything he thought of consisted of two letters and started with 'u' and ended with 'm'.

Zell saved him from embarrassment, however, walking forward and smiling down at the revived girl. "Hey Veronica. Remember me?"

The girl looked up at him, before smiling. "Zell! Wow, why are you here!? My gods, what happened to your tattoo?!"

"We'll get to that later, hon. This is my mate Squall and his girlfriend Rinoa." He said, introducing the two SeeDs.

Squall nodded slightly and said a polite hello, Rinoa following suit, before Zell looked up as the door slid open to see Aries beckoning him out urgently. "Uh, Jules, why don't you fill her in on the details and we'll go talk to Aries, okies?"

Julius nodded slowly, not wanting to take his eyes away from her face, and as Zell and the others walked out of the room he heard her laugh out loud. "Why are you staring at me like that? Oh, baby, don't cry…"

Aries palmed the door closed, before turning to them. They were in the hallway of the hospital, completely alone except for the stark white walls and the occasional chair. Zell smiled at the woman, not seeming to recognise the sadness on her face. "Hey, Aries! What happening?"

"A lot, it seems." Aries said quietly, looking down at the ground…before looking up. "The tests we have received from Veronica have been…a little more bewildering then we would have realised."

Zell's good humour crashed and burned like the Hindonburg, and his face showed it. "Why? What happened?"

"It seemed in the time it took for your friend to break her out of the Rebirth capsule and for you to rescue them, the nanomachines had flooded her body, effectively filling her from head to toe."

"Is that bad?" Squall asked.

"Well, she seemed completely fine. In fact, she's showing better and better results with each test we give her! She has had no residual effects from the procedure, no obvious pains…it seems that your body and genetic structure were more different from ours then we have realised."

"So where does that leave us?" Zell asked sombrely.

"She's perfectly fine, Zell. In fact, don't see anything bad happening from this at all. We'd like to keep her here for observations for a little while longer, of course, perhaps a few more tests…but she's in perfectly good health as far as we can tell."

Zell looked at Squall, who shook his head, his voice steely. "No, Zell. We've already been delayed way too long. We don't have the time to gallivant about like with the Sorceress Quest. We need to move soon, or we have to give up. We don't have time for tests."

_And we cant do that._ Zell thought to himself. "I guess that, now that Veronica's revived, we'll have to press on." He said out loud, addressing Aries, who looked saddened by the news. "Oh, come on, don't be like that! We'll be able to visit, right Rinoa?"

"Oh hell yeah!"

"It'd not that…" Aries said sadly, her cheeks becoming a little rosy.

"Then what?" Zell asked, his voice becoming jovial once more. "C'mon, spit it out! If you don't wanna ask for our help for something, don't worry, we more then owe you!"

Aries sighed, her voice becoming low with embarrassment. "I'd…like you ask…the males…if…"

Zell frowned slightly, but beckoned for her to continue.

Aries sighed and decided to come out with it. "Our world has been so bleak since the incident. Sure, our own music and talents continue to grow, but it's all the same minds. We need someone different, someone who has a fresh mind, a fresh imagination…and us Immortals cannot create what we need...if you know what I mean."

The three SeeDs looked at Aries dumbly, seeming to not understand – before Rinoa suddenly stamped her foot. "Absolutely not! Keep your hands off my Squall!!" she cried, placing herself between Squall and the Immortal. "And you can leave Zell alone too! He's got a girlfriend back home that he loves very much, right Zell?!"

Zell frowned at Rinoa as if she was crazy. "Rin, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't you get it, you idiot! She want to…you know…have sex with you!!"

Zell blinked – before performing a double take at Aries, involuntarily taking a step back in surprise. "What the hell?!" He cried in shock – before placing a hand on the Immortal's shoulder as she looked down, her face completely crimson. "Look, hon, you seem like a very sweet girl and under different circumstances I would…you know, but, well, to be blunt, I'd rather not."

"I didn't mean it like that! You're jumping to conclusions!!" Aries shouted suddenly with a stamp of her foot, shocking the SeeDs with her sudden outburst. "We only want a sample, that's all!!"

Squall frowned for a second, also taken aback by the request…but shrugging. "Sure, why not?"

Rinoa's hand flew faster then Zell's ever could, slapping Squall straight across the face. "Squall!! How could you say such a thing!!"

"Think for a second, Rinoa. All they want is a sample. It's not like they're going to have sex with all three of us just for our sperm. And besides, it's not personal, right Aries."

"…Right…"

Rinoa still looked pissed, so Zell tried a different tactic, his voice gentle as he talked to the angry Sorceress. "Look, we own these people a debt for saving out lives and reviving Veronica for Julius. It's the least we can do."

Rinoa pouted angrily, before shaking her finger in Squall's face. "Well, it better only be a 'sample', otherwise you'll be getting nothing from me for the rest of your life, buster! And you better not lie to me either!" She tapped his temple with her finger forcefully. "Telepathy, remember!!" She suddenly whirled on Zell. "And you!! You ought to be ashamed of yourself for contributing in this disgusting ordeal! Think of what Angel would say!!"

Zell gulped, frightened out of his wits. "I can say, with all certainty, that she'd understand…after she had been done ripping my head off."

"Exactly! Wait, no!! Grrr, I'm so mad right now! I'm going for a fly!!" Rinoa shouted at the ceiling, before her wings exploded out of her back and she was down the corridor and out the door in an instant.

Squall reached a hand down to Aries, who had been knocked down by the sudden burst of paramagical energy, and smiled at her as he pulled her up. "I'm sorry. She'll calm down after she's flown about the city a bit."

Aries, obviously shaken by the sudden outburst from the usually cheerful Rinoa, looked up at the stoic gunblader. "Is…she always like that."

"Only when something doesn't agree with her…or when she cant get something she wants. Or find her brush. Or get to sleep. Or see girls hitting on me. In fact, she is like that a lot of the time…only without the flying."

Aries nodded slowly. "Right…well, you don't need to if you don't want to. It is a big ask, and it is a big obligation…"

Zell shook his head. "No worries…as long as we are allowed to see the kids if we ever come back."

"Oh, of course!!"

*          *            *

Zell was waiting for Julius to come out, sitting in a small chair the Immortals had given him. He hadn't wanted to wait in the room, wanting to give them their privacy – but he also didn't want to go back to his room just yet.

Aries' proposal had, for lack of better words, startled him. It _had_ been a big ask, and must've taken a lot of guts for the shy Immortal to ask. And although he knew that the purpose was just – maybe it was wrong.

Ah hell. What's it gonna matter? I mean, the Immortals are nice people! I'm pretty sure that they would do a hell of a lot better at parenting then I could! And anyways, I'm only 21. I'm too young to have a kid to look after!! 

The argument seemed rational to his mind – but he did feel a twinge of guilt about Angel. _Obviously I just not tell her…I mean, how would she find out? But then…something like this you just don't lie about…and I do love Angel. I wonder how she really would react? I'm sure she'd understand._

The door to the hospital room opened and Julius walked out, his body seeming to sag slightly with fatigue. He shut the door closed behind him softly and walked slowly over to the chair besides Zell, which he plonked down into.

Zell looked over at the taller man and sighed, before leaning forward, clasping his hands together. "How'd she take it?" He asked. They had been in the room alone for almost an hour.

"She…" Julius started, before pausing, seeming to think his words through before speaking again. "…She doesn't remember anything about Trabia."

"That's good…I guess." Zell said dumbly, not knowing what to say.

"Yes…but she's finding it a bit hard to believe that it's been five years since she died. She thinks I…simply cast a Full-Life on her."

Zell said nothing. He didn't know how to react to the news. The whole concept was completely new to the Sorceress Hero. "What about…the universe?"

"I explained the mission to her. She said that as soon as she's ready, she'd go with us."

Zell blinked, before looking over at the blond man. "You sure about that, man?"

"She's adamant, Zell. She'll be useful too. She is a SeeD, after all, and a good one at that. She's a master at the Do-Staff, and I believe that the Immortals study a similar fighting style here. I'm pretty sure I could grab her a weapon off them."

"I didn't mean her, dude." Zell said quietly. "I meant you."

Julius sighed, leaning forward. "What do you mean?"

"The reason I brought you along was because of your hacking skills. But you're also an excellent scrapper, and have held your own against the Hearts every time. Not as well as me, obviously, but you can still defend yourself. Do you think that Veronica can keep up with us? Do you think she can bring anything to the party at all?"

Julius sighed again, his voice strained. "I know…that we've got five years experience on her. But…she can make it. Another fighter can't hurt, can it?"

"And not only that." Zell continued, his tone pained as he spoke. "We've been told…that the Rebirth procedure did something to her. When the nano-bots attacked her, they did something to her. The Immortal doctors don't know what, which freaks me a little. Something these people don't know about…it's almost trips me out thinking about it."

Julius looked up at Zell, his eyes full of worry. "So she's…going to have to stay?"

"Nah, man, she's fine. It's just that…maybe we ought to send her back to Gaia until we finish."

Julius stood and shook his head, looking down at the Hunter. "I'm sorry Zell…but I cant bear to part with her now. One of the reasons I allowed her to come was so I could keep an eye on her."

"And that's another thing, dude." Zell said coldly, looking up at the hacker. "Just how far will you go to protect her?"

Julius narrowed his eyes at Zell suspiciously. "Just what are you saying?"

Zell sighed and shook his head, standing up slowly. "I dunno, man. I'm just saying…just sleep on it. You've been through a lot this past week. We'll have to be getting going in a day or so, so you'll have until then to make up your minds. Just remember – we'll follow through with whatever you say. But we still have a mission to do."

"My main objective is complete now, Hunter." Julius said coldly, turning and palming the door open, before throwing a vehenemous looking over his shoulder. "Trust a SeeD to put his mission before his friends."

The door slid shut behind him with a clack, and Zell sat down on his chair tiredly, sighing a depressed sigh and knocking his head against the white wall. "Idiot, idiot, idiot…" He muttered with simultaneous bangs...before a shrill beeping began to emit from his watch.

He looked down at the SeeD regulation wristwatch he had retrieved from his pack this morning…before slapping his hand into his face, jumping to his feet and running down the corridor. "Dammit, I'm late!!"

*          *            *

Julius walked over to the bed and sat down next to Veronica, who looked up at him with a small smile. "So? What did he say?"

Julius returned her smile sadly, taking her small hand in his own and squeezing it gently. "He said…we should sleep on it."

Veronica shook her head, smiling giddily. "Trust Zell to say that. He probably sleeps more then the both of us!"

Julius snorted slightly. "Yeah…" He said absently, tracing his fingers over her palm. He was amazed that she was talking to him, amazed that she was lying in bed next to him, amazed that she was _breathing_. He had gotten so used to talking to her and not hearing an answer…

"You've gotten a deeper tan then I remember." Veronica said, pulling Julius from his musing.

"Ah…yeah, I did quite a bit of training in the years it took to…" His voice trailed off.

"To do what?" the girl asked simply.

He sighed. He hadn't explained the depths of his quest to resurrect her yet. And now he didn't feel like reliving those times, especially now that they were behind them. "Never mind, hon. It doesn't matter anymore."

*          *            *

The door opened, allowing a breathless Zell to tumble into the room, panting with the effort of running. "You neve told me the test area was all the way across the city!" Zell said to Aries, who looked up from her seat where she had been sitting quietly with Lorelei. "I got the most strange looks when I was running through!"

Lorelei pouted. "Yes, I would have thought so…" She muttered, before turning to Aries. "I told you that we should have held it in the hospital."

The place was a small house just on the outskirts of the city, where the technological buildings began to slowly give way to a horizon filled with trees and plant life. Zell had marvelled at it as he had raced across the city-scape, ducking and leaping through and over crowds of women who paused in their daily workings to gape in awe as this new being raced across their city, performing acrobatic feats of incredible endurance and stamina as it picked it's was through the many levelled road-features and walkways peppered throughout the city.

"Oh, come on, this place is more private then the hospital. These people like privacy." Aries stated confidently.

Lorelei simply snorted and looked at Zell again, who had composed himself during their exchange. "And how are you feeling, Mr. Dincht?"

Zell palmed the door closed and sighed, walking over to the two ladies and placing his hands in his pockets. "I'm feeling alright, I suppose. My morning exercises went as good as usual, which means I'm pretty much in top fighting condition. And, thanks to my trip through your city – which is breath-taking, by the way – I think I have gotten my blood up."

Aries blushed slightly and smiled uncertainly. "So, you are feeling up to…it?"

Zell grinned before nodding sagely. "Oh yeah. I'll be going at it hammer and tongs, you have my word."

The two Immortals frowned up at Zell, but before they could question the term 'hammer and tongs' the door across the room opened, allowing the exit of Squall and Rinoa. Rinoa had her arms wrapped around Squall's midsection, a gleeful smile on her face, whilst Squall had a small yet smug smile on his. In his hand were two small cups, which he handed to Lorelei. "I think that'll be sufficient." He said quietly, causing Rinoa to burst into a fit of giggles.

"Gods that was so kinky!" Zell heard her bubble as they walked out the door. "We have to do it again later!!"

The door closed behind them, and Zell could vividly picture Squall looking down at his Sorceress with a look that simply said 'you are insane.' He grinned at the thought – before it conjured images that he didn't want to think of. _Ew, Zell, these guys are your friends!! Don't think of that!!_

Aries saw the look of distaste on Zell's face as she approached him, and cocked her head to the side. "Are you having second thoughts?"

Zell blinked, forcefully dispelling the dirty, dirty images from his mind and smiling at the girl. "Nah…just having weird thoughts." He looked over at the room. "So, I just go in there, do my thing, and give you the cups?"

Lorelei nodded. "Yes. We'll take them for analyse, and your time with us will be finished. It would be nice to get back to how things used to be…"

Zell sighed. "You don't like me, do you?"

Lorelei narrowed her eyes. "What gave you that impression?"

Aries stepped in-between them, effectively blocking the now frightened Zell from Lorelei's hateful gaze. "Please Lore…Zell and his friends has been nothing but kind to us and our people." She looked at Zell with a pained expression. "If you could step into the room, please, Zell. I'm pretty sure you want to get it over and done with."

She handed Zell the cups, which he took dumbly, and gestured for him to follow. He fell in line with her immediately, making sure that he did not look at Lorelei as he stepped into the room. It was a small bedroom with a vid-screen and a chair, very simple. The sheets on the bed were rumpled, and Zell could smell the sex in the air. He blanched. "Aiyaaa…Squall could have done it without Rinoa's help…"

Aries giggled. "Yes, Rinoa insisted to be present when Mr. Leonhart gave his sample. She was so insistent, in fact, that they were in here for almost an hour."

Zell shook his head and laughed out loud. "Squall, you dog…well, okay, I'll get on with it now."

"Very well." Aries said, walking out and shutting the door behind her.

Now alone, Zell looked down at the cups in his hand and back at the door. He suddenly felt very embarrassed for some reason – before shrugging. _Meh. It's no different from getting a catscan or a full-body check by the Infirmary Computer. You've been living almost half your life behind a door with people waiting outside. Circumstances are just…different, that's all._

Anyways, he decided to keep away from the bed and sat down on the chair to do his business.

*          *            *

Zell emerged from the bedroom and handed the two cups to Lorelei, feeling slightly satisfied. "There you are, hon. Two cups of Dincht love juice, all for you."

Lorelei rolled her eyes as placed the cups into the suitcase where she had placed Squall's and looked up at Zell. "I have no idea what you just said, Mr. Dincht, but whatever it was I'm pretty sure it was as meaningless as your existence, so if you wouldn't mind, I'll be going to the labs."

She brushed past him abruptly, walking out of the house briskly, her robes flapping behind her as the door slid shut behind her. Zell watched her go and scratched the back of his neck in confusion. "Hyne, what's her problem?" He muttered to himself.

"She's not used to your presence, I think." Aries said, coming out from what must've been the kitchen with two cups of steaming liquid. "I think you scare her a bit. It's only natural that she want to show you that this is our world, not yours."

"Believe me, hon…" Zell said, graciously taking the cup and having a sip. "…You can keep your world. No offence or anything, but to tell the truth, I cant wait to get this mission over and done with and get back to my Angel." The drink tasted a lot like a mixture of coffee and chocolate, and he began to gulp it greedily.

"Yes…" Aries said, sipping her drink too and sitting down on one of the plush couches. "May I ask what she's like?"

Zell sat down next to her, smiling as he spoke in wistful tones. "Oh…she's got the prettiest brown eyes, and the most wonderful hair you've ever seen. She always wears it in this cute little ponytail, and it smells great. I love playing with it when she's asleep – otherwise she tell me to knock it off." Aries giggled at this, and Zell continued. "She's a fighter, like me, so she's build tough – not bulky, more like a ballet dancer, all tone. But she's smart too – real smart. She's always reading these big novels and non-fiction books, and she aces all the tests that the Garden can throw at her. She was going for her SeeDship when I left for this mission…I hope she passed."

He sighed, looking down at his cup, seeing his reflection in the dark brown liquid. "I miss her tons…I suppose this is how Julius must've felt."

Aries nodded. "Yes. Lorelei is a little older then me, so she is Reborn earlier then me mostly. Every time she's away from me, I feel…well, empty. Maybe not just empty…more sad that she's not with me."

Zell nodded knowingly. "Unfortunately, with my kinda job, you have to either put up with it, or quit. You can have it both ways."

"Yes…" Aries agreed. "So, your job is…dangerous?"

"Sometimes. It depends on the situation."

"Ah…" Aries said, nodding…but Zell could tell that she didn't understand.

He leaned forward, sighing. "Look…our world is much, much different then yours. One of our differences is that…a lot of our people don't agree with each other that much, so they fight often. SeeD is there as…another option for people who cannot fend for themselves, or find themselves in trouble. Understand?"

"I think so…so you are a protector of your people?"

Zell shrugged. "Yeah…why not?"

"So…if you are a protector…why aren't you protecting your people now?"

Zell sighed. "Sometimes, hon, a best defence is a good offence."

"I see." Aries said quietly, taking a sip of her drink.

Zell followed suit, taking a draw from his cup and allowing the hot liquid to warm his insides. The argument wasn't one he hadn't heard before. There were countless people on Gaia whose sole purpose was to eradicate the SeeDs from existence. These people had their reasons – either a loved one was killed by a SeeD or a son was killed in the line of duty, or they simply thought that the idea of training children to become powerful paramagical soldiers wasn't the greatest thing in the world.

But Gaia needed the SeeDs. They were there to make an even keel on a world over-run with warring nations and powerful monsters. Without the power of the SeeDs, Gaia would most likely have turned out like Crisp…with nothing but barren wastelands and psychotic people.

Zell shook his head and realised that he was staring at an empty cup. He looked up at Aries, obviously lost in her own world, and stood, placing his cup down on the ground. "Well, thanks for the cup of…whatever it was, but I guess I'd better turn in for the night. I think we'll be heading out tomorrow, and Hyne knows what we might run into through the Arch."

"Very well." Aries said, placing her unfinished mug on the ground too. "I suppose I ought to go to the labs with Lorelei and see how she's doing."

Zell nodded, before walking outside with the Immortal, pausing to look up at the night sky – before turning to Aries and waving. "See ya around." Zell said with a smile – before his body suddenly burst into a red flame, and he disappeared from sight.

Aries watched his vapour trail disappear off into the distance, and shook her head in amazement, before beginning the slow walk to the labs.

*          *            *

"Zell." A deep, emotionless voice called.

Zell frowned, his eyes still closed. "What is it, Baku?" He mumbled, rolling over in his warm bed.

"It's time to go." The voice said.

"Already? Can't I have five more minutes?"

There was a small silence…before something lashed out, connecting with his stomach and causing him to cough. "Get up, lazy bones!!" A woman's voice cried.

Zell's eyes flashed open – to see Trish standing over him on the bed, the humour evident on her face. "Hyne, Zell, you sleep like a log!"

"I don't feel like one…" Zell muttered, sitting up in bed and looking around the room. They were all there, minus Julius and Veronica. "So I guess we'll be negative Julius and Veronica, hmmm?"

Rinoa smiled. "Actually, they're in the living room, trying to figure something out on Julius' weird little computer. The Immortals gave him some nice toys to play with in exchange for you and Squall's donations, as well as some stuff for us."

Zell blinked, scratching his head. He suddenly realised that, beside Squall in his usual leather clothing and LionHeart strapped to his side, the rest of the girls were garbed in the flowing attire of the Immortals. Even Emily, who leaned against the wall near the door, was dressed in the soft cloth, her straggly hair pulled back from her face. "Nice…" He said, looking the three girls over – before Trish cracked him on the head with a fist.

"Hey! Stop undressing us with your eyes!!"

"Aiyaaa!! I wasn't! I wasn't!!" Zell cried, cradling his head painfully. _Hyne, what has she been taking?!_

"Well, hurry up and get dressed, cause we're going now." She said, before hopping off the bed and walking over to Emily…who opened the door for her and followed her through, before shutting the door behind them.

Zell frowned, scratching the back of his neck as he looked up at Rinoa and Squall. "Hey…did they just…hold hands?"

Rinoa clasped her hands together, barely able to contain herself. "Yeah! Isn't it wonderful?! Its so cute!!" She gasped with excitement.

"Apparently the Immortals have rubbed off on Trish and Emily in…more ways then one." Squall explained to Zell.

Zell scratched the back of his neck before sighing audibly. "Dammit. Everybody's got a partner except for me. What a gyp."

Squall shook his head with a smile before grasping Rinoa's hand. "We'll wait outside for you." He said, before leading Rinoa out.

*          *            *

After a quick shower and stuffing his gear into his pack, Zell emerged from the bedroom clad in long track-pants and a SeeD sweatshirt, the Uber-Ehrgiez Gauntlets strapped snugly on his hands. He closed the door behind him, one hand holding his pack, and turned to see everybody crouched around Julius' computer. "Yo, guys, what's happening?"  He asked, walking over to them.

Emily looked up from the computer. "Julius might have something." She muttered.

Zell blinked. She delivered the statement like she usually would – blunt and to the point – but she refereed to Julius by name, and didn't have anything cynical to say about what was on hand. He looked down at the blond computer SeeD, who was going through some kind of vibrating waves. "What you got, buddy?"

Julius looked up at Zell with a smile, before resuming his work. "It seems the Immortals gave the SeeD computer an upgrade, as well as a few new gadgets. I can break-down and analyse the Arch's power to almost an anatomical area."

"What the hell does that mean?"

Julius smiled again, continuing to work. "Okay. Well, you know how everybody has a different…smell to them?"

Zell frowned. "What?" He asked, his voice deadpan.

Rinoa punched Zell in the shoulder softly. "Shut up for a second and he'll tell you!"

"Thanks Rinoa…well, everybody has a certain smell to them. Kind of a signature smell. Well, I think I can separate the different 'smells' of the Arch's wormholes and individualise them."

Veronica looked up. "Meaning that he can tell what worlds you guys have been to and where we're going…good morning, by the way."

Zell smiled at her. She too was dressed in the Immortal's robes. They suited her somewhat. "So you reckon we can make an Arch take us to a different universe without having to follow the magical instructions already written on the Arch…right?"

"Exactly." Julius said excitedly. "This means we can go straight from a different universe, say Crisp, straight back to Gaia. Or this universe. Or Te'Get. Any universe we wish, so long as we have an Arch to support the magical portal."

"But we'll need an Arch to a universe in order to go there and back." Squall said. "We can't just make up a portal using random magic's. We could be thrown right off course."

Zell rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So I suppose we'll just have to take that Crisp who looked like Greys' advise. We find the next Arch and go through to this next universe that the Crisps thought sucked. The one after that ought to be the Heart one. How are we doing with finding the next Arch?"

Julius brought up a map of the Immortal world, the continents flashing up on screen. "According to Aries there's a ruins of an ancient civilisation just a few hundred miles out of the city. Thanks to the upgrades on the computer, I was able to scan the site with their satellites – and found an Arch."

"What? How!?" Zell exclaimed. "They're just made out of empty rock, right?"

"No, they've got a certain magical force on them too. How else do you explain their existence in all the universes we've been to?"

Zell nodded. "Okay. So, we're going to these ruins. Lets get ready to move."

*          *            *

As they exited Zell's quarters they ran into Aries, who had been waiting. "We'll give you a ride." She said.

That had been an hour ago, and the air-ship they rode in sluiced through the air like a razor's edge. Shaped much like a spike, the ship seemed to not have any propulsion system – in fact, it didn't seem to have any aerodynamic features to it at all. It simply looked like a long spear that floated about a foot off the ground, 50 meters long, and made out of a shining metal. A small set of steps unfolded from the surface of the ship and allowed them access to its insides, and as they had approached the ship Zell had pulled Aries aside. "This thing isn't made out of Orihalcon, is it?" he asked, not really knowing why he wanted to know.

Aries had frowned at the question. "I don't know what that is…but if you mean the same metal that covers your boots and weapons, then no. We've never seen anything like that on this world."

"Ah…" Zell said, frowning and boarding the ship, thinking about the strange metal a little more as he sat down in a comfy seat. The metal intrigued him. He had never seen anything stronger then Adamantine that could do the things that Orihalcon could do, and it disturbed him. He had gotten used to using the metal and the equipment now – allowing it to meld over his gauntlets like plaster – but he wondered about the Hearts, and how they were about to manipulate the metal so easily.

Was it telepathically endowed? Zell didn't think so – he was pretty sure that Rinoa would have picked up _something_, seeing as they had used the foreign metal so much during the mission.

He had decided to forget about it – as long as it worked, it worked – and had quietly waited for the ride to finish.

He had taken a seat closest to the front of the ship, and he turned back to look at the others. Each of them had paired off, taking their little corner in the ships vast interior.

Rinoa and Squall sat nearest to Zell, just two seats away, Rinoa with her head resting on Squall's shoulder, Squall's resting on her head. They looked sleepy, but Rinoa smiled and waved at Zell, who returned the wave.

Julius and Veronica were in the aisle next to Squall and Rinoa, just a seat behind them. They were talking quietly to each other, and whatever it was it was very passionate as Veronica kissed Julius meekly on the cheek before hugging him close.

Emily and Trish sat at the back of the ship, Trish talking to Emily, who seemed to be listening intently. Every now and then a look of humour arose on Emily's usually dull face, and Zell even saw her laugh out loud at something Trish said.

He sighed heavily and turned back around to face the front of the ship, sinking into his chair and feeling the depression begin to sink in. _Third-Wheel Syndrome times three…great. Maybe we'll find someone in the next world who'll be my friend…_

He looked up at Aries settled into the chair next to him, smiling at him as she spoke. "We'll be at the site in a few minutes."

Zell nodded, trying to make conversation. "Cool. The sooner we get moving, the better."

Aries nodded sadly, before frowning. "Is something wrong?"

Zell sighed heavily again. "Everybody has somebody except for me. Bummer huh?"

The Immortal simply smiled warmly, tossing back a lock of long blond hair from her pretty face before giving Zell's shoulder a small squeeze. "Don't let it get to you, Zell. I'm sure you'll be fine. These people are your comrades, are they not? They wont single you out."

Zell smiled. "Thanks Aries…but I don't think your words have helped much. I suppose I'll just have to remember Angel, and think of her a bit more."

Aries smiled again. "I'm sure you'll be fine." She paused suddenly, the air-ship suddenly shaking slightly. "We're setting down now."

*          *            *

"Thank you for everything, Aries. We're in your debt." Zell said, standing in the rubble of the ruins surrounding them.

Aries stood on the steps of the air-ship, taking his hands in her grasp. "No, Zell – you've given us a future. We'll never be able to repay you for that." She bent down and gave him a small kiss where his tattoo was supposed to be, before beaming at him. "Good luck."

The SeeDs waved goodbye to the air-ship as the step retracted and lifted up into the air, the dust on the ground being disturbed slightly as it gathered a little altitude – before disappearing into the distance at a blinding speed, blinking out on the horizon.

Julius stepped forward and gave Zell a little nudge in the back, a huge grin on his face. "Zell, you old dog. Looks like you made an impression on our lovely hostess."

Zell blushed crimson and turned away from the team, scratching the back of his neck and looking at the ground as they all laughed. "Hey, come on guys, quit it…" He mumbled.

*          *            *

They found the Arch in no time thanks to Julius' computer, hidden away within a gigantic marble building, the vines and roots from the trees surrounding the ruins clawing their way all over the white stone.

The ruins mostly cleared away some of the forest, as the grounds were paved with cracked marble stones and the remnants of buildings were erected in the area. The clearing was about the size of two football fields, and many of the larger, more well buildings were still standing after what seemed to be years of neglect by the sun and the nature, which was thick and dense around the ruins.

The group of seven walked slowly through the ruins, taking in the sights as Julius followed his computer-map like radar, twisting and turning through the ruins to finally find the building. "It's this one, no doubt." Julius had said positively, slapping his laptop shut and returning it to his pack whilst it was still strapped to his back with expert skill. Now that he didn't need to carry a big obelisk of ice on his back, he found that he could reach his gear more easily, and realised that nobody else seemed to relish the luxury they had, but decided not to comment.

Zell looked up at the massive building, easily three stories high and a good twenty meters wide, before turning to the others. "Easy does it, guys…the Immortals said they don't have much of a monster problem, but we're smack-dab in forestation here, so lets keep on our toes."

The group nodded, and Zell sent Squall, Julius and Veronica in to recon, keeping the others back. Trish wasn't aware of SeeD procedure, and Emily and Rinoa were more use to him keeping their backs then being sent forward. After the three within the building had shouted the all clear, Zell and the rest entered.

The place was magnificently sculptured, the walls riddled with unintelligible symbols and insignias, as well as murals depicting humans in wars, humans fighting monsters, and so forth. The middle of the room was bare, paved in cracked stone.

The Arch was at the north-most end of the room, opposite of where the main entrance was. It was bigger then the last one they had passed through – not so big as the one on Gaia. This one looked like it could allow the passage of a large truck or van. Also surrounding the Arch, etched painstakingly on the walls, were depictions of a winged race, women with feathered wings displayed around the Arch like angels, their hands beckoning to the Arch as if to ask for passage.

Zell narrowed his eyes suspiciously at this, looking over at Rinoa, who was studying the murals along with him. "What are you thinkin', Rin?" Zell asked, walking up behind her.

When she managed to tear her eyes away from the pictures Zell saw that she was disturbed, to say the least. "I…I don't know…" Rinoa said uncertainly, looking over her shoulder at the pictures again. "Could there be…a race of people with wings like mine?"

"Well…there were these kinds of depictions in Te'Get…" Julius said, setting up his computer and taking pictures. "And whose to say there might have been some in Crisp? Dianna said that she deposited us in a ruins of a lost city, right?"

Rinoa's eyes widened as she remembered taking her bearings after being thrown away by Dianna…

_ - Rocks and pillars depicting some kind of ancient race have lived here – _

…and looked up. "There were. I didn't realise it at the time 'cause I was upset, but there were pictures of people with wings."

"The winged race is the key to the Arch." Squall muttered, looking over the murals. "…But there are only women present in the depictions. There are no men."

Veronica shrugged. "Maybe cause the women were the only ones with the power to activate this thing?" She said, gesturing to the Arch with a wave of her hand.

"Women are the only ones who can become Sorceresses…" Rinoa said quietly, wringing her hands nervously.

Zell shook his head. Everything was becoming complicated, and they didn't need that right now. He stepped forward and placed a hand on Rinoa's shoulder, giving it a friendly squeeze. "Don't worry about it right now, Rin. Once we get this mission over and done with, we can come back to it. But right now we have business to do, okay?"

Rinoa nodded uncertainly, and walked over to the Arch, trying not to look at the mural on the wall behind the large Arch as she noted the magic's needed to activate the portal.

Squall stepped up behind Zell as Rinoa began to prepare, Julius setting up to record the entire thing near the entrance. "You're warming up to this whole leader thing, Zell. I'm beginning to get impressed." He said quietly.

Zell turned his head to look at Squall, a small grin on his face. "Thanks man. I'm trying as hard as I can, hey."

"Well, whenever you need a break, just say the word."

"Squall Leonhart, do you wanna become leader now?" Zell asked mockingly. "Who'da guessed that the Leader would be jealous of the Hunter?"

Squall frowned, his voice becoming cold. "You know that's not what I meant..."

Zell laughed out loud, turning to clap his hand on his friends shoulder. "I know what you mean, man. If I get a bit tired of ordering people around, I'll talk to you, okay? But right now I'm fine." He turned back to watch the Arch…but spoke over his shoulder. "Thanks man."

"Don't mention it." Squall muttered as the Arch suddenly lit up.

*          *            *

The Arch lit with a harsh purple hue, a loud boom erupting from the portal as it suddenly formed within the stone structure of the Arch.

Rinoa stood in front of the Arch, staring up at it, before turning around. "This isn't me!" She yelled over the sound of the rushing wind as the latent energies sped to feed the portal's power.

"Get over here!!" Squall yelled as the portal finally finished forming, settling to a purple sheen over the Arch's opening, rippling and bubbling with universal powers.

Rinoa quickly ran to Squall's side as he whipped the Lionheart from it's clip, the blue blade blazing to life as everybody else took battle positions.

Zell's mind was a blur as he quickly slipped his pack off, the Orihalcon ringing out as it hit the hard stone floor. _Shit! Who the hell could this be?!_

The SeeDs waited with baited breath, ready for anything. Rinoa stood behind Squall, her hands curled slightly, making sure to keep the magic just at bay. Squall stood before her, making sure his body shielded her as he held his Lionheart forward, the blue blade shimmering in the dankness of the massive room.

Julius and Veronica stood just to the left of the Arch, making sure to keep to the side. Veronica's staff, about two meters long, was held expertly before her in both hands, the metallic staff held in a defensive stance. Julius stood beside her, his fists held up, ready for anything.

Emily and Trish hadn't strayed far from the door, and now they stood ready, the two Blue's making sure that they had a good bead on whatever was coming through, their hands pointed, the spells charged.

As the tension began to rise to almost intolerable levels, Zell stepped forward, approaching the Arch slowly, as if it was a dangerous animal.

He only got about five feet from the entrance when someone emerged from the portal, the purple energies dripping off them horizontally to return to the portal's surface. Zell immediately back flipped away from the person, his stance rock-hard as he recognised the armour, different as it was.

This Heart looked a lot more regal then the usual foot-soldiers. Instead of the armour seeming to look like one big sheet of Orihalcon wrapped around the man, this armour seemed to be made like regular armour, the plates surrounding the body levelled with each other in a true suit. A luscious red cape was strapped to the shoulders of the man's suit of Orihalcon, the cape falling to drag across the ground in almost a show of royalty.

The helmet, different from the usual smooth ones, had sharp spikes jabbing from the temple up, much like a crown. A dark slit crept across where the eyes were supposed to be situated, and an extra triangular-shaped piece of metal covered where the nose and mouth were supposed to be, the top of the triangle ending in the middle of the slit and the two bottom tips dropping down to stab menacingly.

The man looked a sight to be reckoned with, if a little short.

But Zell paled when the man looked over the team, spying each and every one of them, even Julius and Veronica behind him – and saw what he had on his hands.

_Red and silver gauntlets._

The gauntlets rose slowly yet suddenly, moving up to the helmet, gripping it firmly and lifting it up and of the person's head…to reveal blond hair, blue eyes, and a dark tattoo that looked like a fiery blotch on the left side of his face.

"Oh shit…" Zell muttered as Zell smiled.

*          *            *

Okay. So I did promise you a fight scene in this chapter. But a lot of things have been happening, so allow me some slack, okay? Think of this as a precursor before the battle scene. 

But something has happened to one of my friends that I wish for you all to acknowledge. My good friend Aries has been cruelly tested in the last few days…tested in ways that nobody else can compare to. She has been beaten, humiliated…and worse.

When you review this chapter, it would mean a lot to her and me if you would please give her a word of encouragement. Anything will suffice. She needs it more then me.

Aries…this chapter is dedicated to you. Remember – nothing is impossible, hon.


	17. A Hunter's End

Ch 17 – A Hunter's End

"Oh shit indeed…" The Heart Zell said, his voice crisp and cool as he tucked his helmet under his arm. "I had received word that you had died during the little scrap you had with the Crisps. I was very, very disappointed."

Zell grinned, masking his uncertainty. "I aim to please. At least I took most of the fuckers with me."

"Quite…" The other Zell said, taking a small step forward. "But I'm glad you're alive and well. I was beginning to doubt that I wouldn't get the chance to test myself against you."

"That's close enough." Squall muttered threateningly, moving forward slowly, his gunblade held out before him. "Set the helmet down on the ground and put your hands on your head." He cocked the hammer of the glowing energy blade back to punctuate the point, the ominous click echoing around the large empty building.

The Heart rolled his baby-blue eyes and looked at Zell with a small smile. "My version is much like him. All business – and no fun."

Suddenly the gunblade in Squall's hands flew up, twisting through the air to slam deep into the roof of the building, knocked out of the Commander's hands by the deft flick of a wrist – as the Heart Zell appeared before Squall, his cape slowly settling behind him. "Unlike my Squall, however, you are weak."

Squall took a step back cautiously, making sure to keep his body between Rinoa and this bastardised version of Zell.

Zell himself whirled around, his mouth gaping. _How'd he move so fast without magic? I didn't even see it, and he was right in front of me!!_

The other Zell turned, leaving Squall to his own devices, and walked slowly back to Zell. "But I'm not here to fight you…that is, not all of you." He moved over to Zell, approaching the fighter with a look in his eyes – something like curiosity mixed with contempt. "I am here to duel with _you –_ and to deliver a warning." He stopped himself, sighing audibly. "But where are my manners?"

He bowed low, speaking as he righted. "My name is Azel Dincht, Commander of Queen Heartilly's army, and Universal Ambassador for the Heart Army."

Zell kept his guard up as he spoke cautiously. "I'm Zell. Zell Dincht, Grade A SeeD. And I'm feeling a little vulnerable right now, so I think everybody ought to just chill." He said the words as he stole glances all around the room at the various people with magic's charged and ready to blow this impostor out of the universal equation.

"Oh, don't worry about them, Zell." Azel said jovially. "The only person who can come close to my power is you…and Rinoa, but I'm not interested in her right now. Although I do have to say, all of you have displayed impressive amounts of power for such a weak universe." He looked around the room. "And I think, seeing your condition now after hearing of your miraculous escape from Crisp, that this universe will be a good conquest."

"You leave these people alone!!" Trish yelled from the entrance. "What did they do to you?!"

"Well, being alive is a good excuse as anything I suppose…" Azel said evenly – before turning to Zell. "Make sure you leash that dog before she bites off more then she can chew."

Trish was about to retort heatedly before seeing Zell's hand flash up. "Trish, just…stay quiet!"

Zell didn't know what to do. He hadn't expected to run into his alternate self just yet – and after seeing the display he had just shown with Squall, he wasn't so sure about his power-level either. _His speed is phenomenal…is it the armour? Either way he seems to want to fight me. Shit, what do I do?_

"Thinking wont get you out of this, Zell." Azel muttered, his eyes slitting to stab at Zell. "Do you accept my challenge?"

_Okay. Think this through. Why would he want to fight you now? Because he's afraid of you? Or maybe this is just a ruse…is something else going down?_ "Not until you answer some questions." Zell muttered.

"I thought so…" Azel sighed, placing the helmet on the ground and beginning to undo the clasps of his cape. "If you aren't going to fight me, then you will just have to defend yourself."

Julius stepped forward. "Hey, wait a minute…can't we talk about this?" He asked – before a backhand from Azel sent him flying away into the corner of the room, crashing into the stone and lying still. Veronica shrieked and dropped her staff, running after her lover who didn't move.

Zell's brows crashed down into the bridge of his nose, the snarl forming before the words entered his mind. "Nobody hurts my friends…" He growled, taking up his stance.

"That's more like it, Zell." Azel muttered, tossing his red cloak away – and assuming his position.

*          *            *

Emily grasped Trish's hand and pulled her back. "I think we should not be present when this starts." She muttered coldly, pulling Trish outside. 

"Dammit! C'mon Em, Zell's in trouble!" Trish cried, scratching and fighting against Emily's hold.

Emily jerked her violently close and spoke quickly and gruffly. "Listen to me! There are some things you do not interfere with! Now take cover!!"

*          *            *

Inside the building Squall and Rinoa stood a way away from the two warriors, their bodies like statues as they waited for the other to make a move. Squall pulled Rinoa close and whispered in her ear urgently. "Get my gunblade. I'll help Veronica with Julius."

Rinoa nodded curtly, watching as Squall ran to the fallen fist-fighter – before looking up at the shimmering blue blade embedded in the roof. Reaching up and pointing her open hand at the weapon, she focused her mind – and smiled as the weapons slid out of its hold and into her grasp using nothing but a thought.

Squall quickly placed his arm around Julius and hefted him up, supporting his body with his own as Veronica took up the other side, the two SeeDs hauling the unconscious hacker out of the building as quickly as they could, Rinoa following close behind them.

Finally, the two Zell's were alone.

*          *            *

Azel smiled as the silence continued to grow. "Aren't you going to attack?"

Zell grimaced. "Your form is a little hard to predict. Plus, you know, the whole 'face on the other guys head' thing is a little trippy…"

"I suppose it would be…" Azel muttered, suddenly tensing. "But I have seen my face demolished five times now – you will be my sixth!!"

Azel's words penetrated Zell's stony demeanour, and he couldn't help but blink in shock – which was the opportunity Azel had bargained for. Suddenly Azel's tattooed face appeared in Zell's vision, and a vicious explosion of pain erupted from his face as the Heart head butted him, forcing him to stagger back and cry out in pain. Shaking his head to rid himself of the pain, Zell looked down – to watch as Azel appeared before him – simply _appear_ – and bury his fist into Zell's stomach.

Zell's wind was blasted from his lungs, his eyes widening in surprise and agony as the fist suddenly lifted him up off the ground, carrying him up and over Azel's head to be _rammed_ into the ground, the stones crumbling around his back as his body was slammed deep into the rich brown earth.

There were spots dancing in Zell's eyes as Azel continued to push his fist into the SeeD's stomach slowly – before Zell fought back. His hands slashed out – to miss Azel's head by millimetres, Zell's headache punch slamming into the other fist as Azel jumped back out of range.

Taking the opportunity, Zell rolled backwards out of the crater – before feeling something grasp him by his foot. "Ah crap…" He muttered – before Azel picked him up like a rag doll and whipped him back down into the ground, smashing Zell's body into the floor like a person whipping the ground with a limp stick. Zell could do nothing but take the barrage, everything moving too fast, his surroundings a blur as he was lifted from his stony crater once more and slammed back into the ground, creating a new crevasse in the paved floor.

It was the third time that Azel slammed his body into the ground that Zell acted. His vision swimming red and stars dotting everywhere, he strained with all his might to push his feet apart. The iron-clad grip on his ankles loosened slightly, and Zell quickly threw out his left hand, the Fira blowing out in a large gout of flame to surround Azel, the Heart letting Zell go from his loosened grip in the return trip to the ground, Zell barrelling into the floor with painful speed.

Rolling with the landing, Zell jumped to his feet, staggering slightly. Azel's strength was _way _off the charts – somewhere between impossible and improbable, Zell figured – before he regained enough composure to look up.

Azel stood where he had released Zell, his armour smoking slightly – but looking no worse for the wear. He smiled cheekily as Zell frowned in confusion, trying to comprehend how he had gotten away from a full-on blast of Fira and not be hurt in the slightest. "You'll have to better then that, SeeD." Azel muttered, cricking his neck to the left. "I'll give you this, though – I think you ruffled my hair."

Zell bared his teeth and shook his head, ridding himself of the stars dancing before him and standing, taking his stance once more and beckoning the Heart forward with a stiff wave of the hand. "C'mon!"

Azel narrowed his eyes – before appearing in Zell's vision once more, his body obviously prone for attack. Zell was ready for this, however – and fell backwards, Azel's attack flashing right over his head, the wind current from Azel's gauntleted fist ruffling Zell's hair as the SeeD reached out – and grabbed Azel's face with his own metal-clad fist.

Using his own falling momentum, Zell swung himself around the off-balance Heart, coming up behind him – to slam a fist into the back of the head, the sound of metal connecting with bone sounding sweet to Zell's ears. Azel, however, had managed to bend his head forward at the last second, effectively making Zell's attack only graze the skull. Azel's hand reached up and past his ear, grabbing Zell by his shirt-front and pulling him up and over the Heart, tossing him through the air into the nearest wall.

Zell slammed into the wall with a loud crunch, the marble and concrete exploding when his body made contact. Rebounding off the wall, Zell fell the meter to the floor before being showered by dust and stone.

Shaking his head dustily, Zell looked up – and rolled back just in time, the metallic knee of Azel crushing the ground where Zell's stomach had just been. Coming up in a crouch, Zell lashed his foot out – to miss his doppelganger by mere millimetres as the Heart jumped up and away from his attacker, landing safely a few meters away.

"Interesting…" Azel said, rubbing the back of his head as he watched Zell jump to his feet. "I had forgotten what pain felt like."

"I'll make sure that the re-acquaintance isn't gentle." Zell growled – before tensing his muscles, the red flame shooting up around him flaring briefly – before he exploded from his spot, his battle-cry echoing around the building as he threw his fist out at his duplicate's face.

*          *            *

Outside the others could only listen as the sounds of battle waged on within the building, the foundations of the stony edifice trembling every no and then as someone was slammed into the ground or into a wall. The leaves of the vines wrapped around the building seemed to drop off exceedingly fast as the war raged within, and dust seemed to pour out of every crack.

Squall received his gunblade from Rinoa and crouched down next to Julius, slapping him lightly on the cheek. "We'll re-cooperate, then go back in." He muttered.

Veronica was on the verge of hysteria. "Who was that in there?" She cried, trembling slightly as she held Julius in her arms. "He looked like Zell, but he's not…"

"No." Rinoa muttered. "He's someone else. Someone completely different…"

*          *            *

Within the building, Zell was finding that his work was being cut out for him.

Even with the Haste coursing through his system, feeding his muscle structure and oiling his limbs and making his brain tick into overdrive, he found that Azel was always one step in front of him. A punch to the head was deftly flicked to the side by a lightening-fast deflect, a kick to the mid-section suddenly slapped away. Every move he made was blocked, countered or dodged with precision accuracy, viciousness and almost precognitive interpretation.

He now let out a left-right-up combo, his left fist leading whilst his right swung around for the rebound before his left came around again into an uppercut. There was almost no rebound as Azel captured the left hand and twisted it around, capturing it and pulling Zell's body close. The two fighters were close now, almost close enough to kiss – before Zell deftly head-butted his doppelganger, knocking him out of the hold on Zell and forcing him to take a step back.

Stepping forward, Zell slammed his palms out, both hands hammering into the metallic armour of the double's body – before they erupted into blue electricity, the Thundaga coursing through Azel's body with little resistance, making the Heart jump and twitch with the burning sensation tickling his nerve-endings.

Azel's boot suddenly slashed out, catching Zell in the mid-section and blowing the wind out of him, blasting him away from the Heart with little resistance. Zell flew through the air to slam into a wall once more, ricocheting off the stone and dropping to the floor like a rock, landing on his face in agony.

As Zell clutching his chest and tried to fin the ability to breathe, he felt something grip the back of his shirt. "That burned, Seed…" He heard, bizarrely, his own voice say – before the ground receded and he crashed through the thick stone wall, erupting from the building with a loud crash and smashing through three more stone structures before finally skidding to a stop on the outskirts of the woods.

*          *            *

The SeeDs outside had been listening intently for any sign of an end of the struggle – before Zell's body blew out of the stone wall like a doll being through a house of wooden bricks, stones and dust flying everywhere as Zell tumbled through the air. Trish gasped as she watched Zell's body finally lay still, watching as he didn't move – before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

*          *            *

Zell opened his eyes painfully – to cough up something wet and sticky, the familiar taste of metal entering his mouth. Whatever it was, it was a sign that he wasn't doing too good with the fight – he was going to have to pull off some kick-ass moves now, otherwise he wouldn't make it.

A sound, like smoke being puffed out of a billow, sounded beside him, and he looked up to see Trish crouching next to him, the Blue glow fading rapidly from her eyes. "Are you alright, can you move?"

Zell grimaced and sat up, waving her hand away as she tried to help. "Get out of here. He wont harm you if you don't get in the way." He muttered, wiping the blood from his mouth.

"No. You need help." Trish said forcefully, standing and looking away at the building with the Arch, putting her body between them. "He's going to kill you."

Zell smiled through his pain. "He's not going to kill me, hon. You just see." Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself to his feet, wrapping one arm around his stomach painfully as he did so. "Now you run back to the others and tell them to leave us be."

"Dammit, Zell, you're not immortal!!" Trish cried.

Zell found himself blinking hard, the ability to stand taking a bit more concentration then usual. "He's not going to kill me, Trish. Now get out of here. That's an order."

Trish scowled at him – before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"Now what was all that about?" Zell heard his voice say behind him, the tone sounding like a parent finding his child squabbling with a sibling.

Zell took in a deep breath – before turning to face his double, which was leaning casually against the nearest tree-trunk with his arms crossed. He didn't seem the least bit tired. 

"Just letting the other know how badly I'm kicking your ass…" Zell muttered, snorting out his wind and taking his stance again.

"Very nice." Azel muttered back – before approaching once more.

*          *            *

Trish appeared next to Emily in a puff of smoke and looked down at Squall. "He ordered us not to interfere. He said he was alright."

Squall scowled. "Dammit, Zell, you're going to get yourself killed…"

*          *            *

Back with the Dincht's, it seemed that Zell was beginning to find a pattern to Azel's attacks. That was, all of Azel's attacks connected and inflicted maximum damage, whilst Zell's inflicted almost no damage and barely connected at all.

_Offence obviously isn't working_, Zell figured as Azel grabbed him by the left arm and twisted it painfully behind his back – _so lets play smart_.

Zell's left hand was now touching Azel's chest as the Heart reaching for the right shoulder to snap it like a brittle twig, and focusing his energy at the last second, Zell let off a Status magic.

There was a dark flash of purple light behind Zell, before the grip on his hand loosened and he skipped forward and twisted – to watch as the Slow took hold of Azel, quickly atrophying his muscles and bones and making every manoeuvre take at least ten seconds to reach their intended target.

Having cast the spell without seeing the target and not tracing the pattern in the air, the Slow would only last a minute or so – but that was all the time Zell needed.

First, he cast a Curaga on himself, feeling the pain in his stomach and sides melt away to nothingness, the blood dripping from his mouth switching off like a faucet. Secondly, he finally tried to make sense of their surroundings.

The last five minutes of fight had been a painful blur of green and fists, but he now realised that they were in the forest surrounding the ruins, thick tree-trunks growing from the ground and reaching straight up to cover the sky with a dark mass of leaves and vines. The trees were thick around them, but Zell could see where they had fought – a steady line of fallen trees from dodged attacks and massive shockwaves from blocked ones lay in front of him, the damage now stopped by the slow moving Azel before him.

_Not much time left…_ Zell thought to himself – before he suddenly appeared before the slow moving doppelganger, his fist buried into the Heart's armoured stomach. A slow look of pain and rage crept onto Azel's face – before physics slowly caught up, launching his body slowly up into the air, his arms and legs flailing at a snail's pace as the Slow continued to work it's magic, slowing his entire body from Time's grasp.

His Haste had faded quickly thanks to the constant attacks that Azel had connected with, but Zell still had a healthy stock left over, and as his body flared up with red fire he looked down at the moss-covered ground, littered with fallen tree-trunks – and smiled.

Racing back to where they had first entered the forest, his Haste still working through his body, Zell checked Azel's trajectory – before bending down and digging his fingers into the trunk of one of the massive fallen trees, hefting the gigantic wooden length almost as if it weight nothing.

*          *            *

_"Hyne…_" Trish breathed as she watched Zell pick up the gigantic tree trunk. "That thing must weight _tonnes_!!"

"Zell's gotten stronger, alright…" Squall muttered as he watched Zell hold the tree up, hugging it close to his body because of it girth. "But I wonder what he's planning…"

Then he saw the body floating slowly through the air out of the small line of fallen trees – and smiled a small Squall smile.

*          *            *

The Slow was beginning to wear off, Zell could tell – and it was time to launch his plan into action.

Twisting his body around so the trunk was facing off with Azel's flying body, Zell spread his legs wide, tensing his arms. "Batter up!!" He cried.

The Slow finally wore off, and Azel's body suddenly sped back up to the normal speed of the Meteor Barret reaction, his body going from .25 miles per hour to 100 in almost a second – before Zell swung the tree around with a speed that was almost uncanny.

There was the unmistakeable sound of metal hammering into wood – before a shining figure flew up and out into the sky, wailing as it disappeared from sight.

Zell's smile was gigantic – before he realised that he couldn't stop the momentum of the tree, his swing twisting him around full-circle before he let the tree fly off into the woods, taking down several other trees in the process with loud cracks and the almost deafening rustle of trees.

Zell watched the tree fly off into the distance – before pumping his fist into the air. "Home run!!"

*          *            *

The rest of the team ran up to him, cheering as they ran, Zell all smiles as they surrounded him. Trish leapt into his arms, squealing wildly as he picked her up of the ground and spun her around, laughing manically as he did. For some reason he was elated – he had defeated the _General _of the Heart Army. Sure, it had been tough – but if they were all like that, then the SeeDs wouldn't have to worry all too much.

He placed Trish on the ground and punched her lightly in the shoulder. "Did you really think that I wouldn't win?" he said with a grin, watching as she playfully punched him back.

"Of course not! I knew you'd kick his ass!! You were just learning his techniques and stuff like that, huh? Just letting him think he was winning before you let loose you're kick-ass plan!!"

Zell scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah, why not."

Squall stepped up to Zell, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We'd better be going now, Zell." He muttered stoically.

"I'm fine, Squall, thanks for asking." Zell said jovially, gathering more laughter from the others as Squall rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Lets just get going soon, in case he comes back…"

Squall's words trailed off to nothingness as he looked over Zell's shoulder at something behind him, causing Zell to turn…

…And see a very angry Azel walk out from the woods, his armour tarnished and covered in dirt, his face covered in scratches and smudges.

*          *            *

"Excellent, Zell." Azel growled, all humour now gone from his voice. "You've managed to make me mad."

Zell could see that the man wasn't hurt in the slightest – it was his pride that had taken a beating. All the SeeD could do was freeze, his blood running cold, as he watched himself stop just on the edge of the woods, breathing heavily and with a scowl on his face. "Celebrating already? You, of all people, ought to know – you don't celebrate until your enemy has been confirmed dead."

"Well, we figured that, you know, you sucking as much as you do, we could do it in advance…" Zell said, fighting past his shock. _Whoa…he took a Meteor Barret to the chest, as well as a slap from a tree-trunk the size of my room and he's still going! What's he made of?_

Zell's words seemed to infuriate Azel more. "You think a little tap with that _toothpick_ could kill me? I have faced _legions _of men stronger then you, Dincht, and have left without a mark to my name! How can you possibly compare to me?"

Zell thought quickly. "I've…killed Omega Weapon. I had some help, of course, but I did most of the work…"

"Hey!!" Squall and Rinoa shouted in unison.

Azel simply snorted. "You'll die just like your other alternates, even easier then them. You come nothing close to my power."

Zell scowled – before pushing Trish away from him and taking his stance. "Less talk, more fight, buster!"

*          *            *

Trish stumbled back as Zell pushed her roughly to the side – before being blown off her feet as the two Zells suddenly met each other head on, each attack coinciding with each other in a ballet of noise and pressure. It was like several explosions at once as Zell's boot flashed up to be blocked by Azel's arm, Azel's fist travelling along to be arrested in Zell's hand – before Emily quickly dragged her out of harms way, the two of them having to crawl on their hands and knees as the battle picked up in tempo once more.

*          *            *

Zell tried desperately to meet Azel's technique with his own, pushing his body to it's limits, straining every fibre of his being to block, dodge, counter, attack, block, counter, attack, dodge…

The strain was taking its toll, however. Zell could feel his energy beginning to drain slowly, the effort to meet Azel's attacks being too much for his body to withstand. The Heart was just too strong, too fast, too skilful, and it was showing.

Slapping aside a punch, Azel stepped into Zell's arms and slammed his head into the SeeDs face – before ramming his fist into the man's stomach, twisting the fist to add more pain to the attack, the metal ripping the skin and tearing through the flesh.

This close up, however, Azel was more vulnerable then usual, and even in his fatigued state Zell still managed to whip his own Ehrgiez Gauntlet over his other's face, slamming into the tattoo and causing his twin to twist though the air to land on the ground, sprawling spread-eagled over the disturbed stone pathway as Zell fixed his hand at him, his palm flat, his fingers stiff and together.

_"Meltdown!!"_ Zell screamed, the Forbidden erupting from his hand almost immediately and slamming into the Heart's back, crushing him down into the ground, the beam turning the surrounding stones into melted mush as the power wafted over them.

Zell let the Meltdown end and took a step back to take a breath – before someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned, horrified as he saw his own face with a bruised tattoo smile viciously – before two lumps of metal and bone attached to Azel's forearms slammed into his sides, Zell's ribs snapping brutally like fragile sticks. 

His agonised bellow rang out over the forest, causing all the flying wildlife within a five-mile radius of the battleground to scatter.

*          *            *

Azel watched as Zell collapsed, his arms wrapped around his chest protectively as he curled up into a ball, trying desperately to fight through the fog of pain to find a Cure spell. "You are one-of-a-kind, Zell." Azel muttered, kicking out with his boot to launch the agonised Zell up into the air and through a pillar of stone, Zell's body crashing to the ground with little resistance. "You are certainly the strongest of us that I've come across…beside me, that is."

Zell didn't answer – he simply choked on his own blood as his own ribs lanced his lungs, making it almost impossible to breath of move. He gagged as the blood suddenly spewed from his mouth, his body trying desperately to expel the liquid in his lungs, not knowing that it was only making the matter more unbearable.

"But then…I suppose that one must come across someone who has the possibility of defeat once in their life. I suppose I should be lucky that that person was…well, me, in a weird kind of way." Azel continued, walking over to Zell slowly, watching the fighter convulse as he stood over him. "But you should know…I'm not even tired. In fact, I could have gone all day at the rate we just fought – and you still wouldn't have been able to beat me."

Zell gritted his teeth and forced his mind through the pain, focusing his energies into casting the Curaga spell – before Azel almost casually reached out with a boot and stepped on Zell's side, forcing the ribs in further, cutting straight through the soft meat of the lungs and causing them to fill almost immediately with rich red life-force.

Azel crouched down as Zell's eyes suddenly widened, the blood that he had coughed up before suddenly pouring out of his mouth like water from a bucket. "Do you feel that, SeeD? Feel your lungs filling with your own blood? Feel your life slipping away as you drown, miles away from any water? Do you feel the irony? That it is, technically, _you _that has defeated you so utterly?"

Zell's left hand suddenly whipped out, wrapping around Azel's throat in a claw-like grasp, the Adamantine/Orihalcon digging deep into Azel's neck. Zell spat out a majority of the blood in his mouth and spoke in gurgles. "If I die…I'm taking you…with me…" He spluttered, squeezing with all his might…

…To have his hand dislodged as easily as a child's by his twin. "Very noble, Zell, but you're not killing me today. In fact, you're not going to kill anybody anymore." Azel said, standing…before placing a hand on his chin and rubbing thoughtfully. "However, regarding your files from our spy and your history of fighting, you have always come back from the very brink of oblivion, even when considered dead. And although it would seem like quite an opportunity to fight you once more when you are more adequately prepared, I do have my royal obligations to fulfil…you know how Rinoa gets when she doesn't get her way. So…"

Azel reached down with one hand and picked Zell up by the neck, lifting the SeeD up off the ground, his legs dangling in the air, and lifted his hand up, the gauntleted hand rigid and flat like a knife. "Any last words?" Azel asked kindly.

Zell spoke in spluttered words, the blood flowing from his mouth running rivers down his chin and neck. "I'll…be back…just you…wait…"

Azel sighed. "No…not this time, my twin…"

Before Azel's flat hand slashed across, effectively cutting Zell's head off from the neck up.

*          *            *

Rinoa screamed shrilly as Zell's head flew up and off his body, flying high into the air – before landing just before the team, bouncing off the ground and rolling to a stop just at her feet, Zell's horrified and blood-stained face looking up at her.

The whole team could only watch, shocked beyond words and horrified beyond all belief, as Azel dumped Zell's decapitated body to the ground, the body landing limply like a dummy – before blasting it to oblivion, the Flare erupting from his fingertips as easily as a Fire spell. The magic blast lasted only a second before the searing red light receded – to reveal two smouldering and scorched Gauntlets, the metal smoking but holding it's form, even through the massive abuse of the Flare.

Rinoa's eyes were wide as she looked down at Zell's head, his eyes blank, his mouth wide open – and lifted her head to the sky, screaming her anguish as the tears rolled down her cheeks suddenly began to glow a bright white, her wings blasting from her back in a suddenly explosion of feathers.

She was up and off, rocketing towards Azel with fury in her smoking white eyes, her hands outstretched and forming an Ultima as she closed in on her quarry, who was staring down at the ashened remains of her friend – before he turned sharply, his hand up and tracing the purple pattern in the air s quickly and as efficiently as she could ever do it.

She suddenly Stopped, frozen in mid-flight and mid-snarl, her hands curled in the effort of conjuring the powerful Ultima spell, utterly helpless.

Azel simply sighed, brushing down his armour as he walked past her frozen form and approached the other SeeDs. "We will be beginning our assault on your universe in a few weeks. I suggest that you return and prepare as best you can – not that it will help you."

With the ultimatum delivered and his initial job done, Azel turned and walked back to the ruined remains of the Arch building, leaving the SeeDs to their own devices.

*          *            *

Emily watched Azel walk away – before grabbing an irate Trish and tackling her to the ground, the enraged Trish so angered that she didn't even consider using her Teleport. "Let me go, Emily! I'll kill him! I need to kill him!!" She screamed, slathering at the mouth as she tried to claw past her lover.

Emily straddled the girl on the chest and slapped her hard across the face, the sound ringing out across the ruins. "No! He'll kill you too and then we'll have two people to grieve over!!" Emily shouted. Trish simply went berserk, smashing her fists into the ground and at Emily and screaming to the heavens, outing her rage at anything that came near her.

Squall looked down at the head of his friend and didn't say anything. He simply stared into the blue eyes, trying to see why he hadn't been able to help, his gunblade abandoned at his feet where he had dropped it as the Flare had destroyed any possibility of revival, his fists clenching and unclenching.

Veronica simply cradled the still unconscious Julius in her lap and wept openly, unable to look at the only remaining piece of Zell that lay not three feet from her.

*          *            *

Back in the Arch building Azel had just finished replacing his clock when he felt someone approach him from behind. He looked up at the Arch, his back to the person, and spoke. "If you value your life, I would suggest leaving me in peace." He said quietly, picking up his helmet.

"When you go back to your Queen…" Squall said quietly, unadulterated rage now filling his usually lifeless voice. "Send her a message from me."

"What might that be?" Azel asked mockingly with a smile, turning to face the gunblader...and stopping dead.

Squall stood before him, his shimmering blue LionHeart grasped limply in his hand, and Azel felt no fear from his stance – it was the cold man's eyes, the way they bore into Azel's head like drills slowly digging through soft earth, and showing no fear. 

Squall's voice was like a rusty blade slicing through adamantine-steel, digging slowly into the Hearts mind and sending an uncharacteristic chill down his spine.

"Her time will soon be _up_."

Azel and Squall continued to lock eyes, the battle of wills seeming to be endless – before Azel placed his helmet on his head, the armour mask covering his features from Squall's sight, and walked through the purple portal in the Arch, the ripples of his body trembling slightly as he passed through…before the portal dissipated like smoke.

*          *            *

Azel passed through the Arch and into his own realm, stepping through the portal almost like passing through a door into another room.

The room he was in now was large, almost as large as the building he had been in before, and was covered in murals and pictures depicting winged people. A throne sat a few meters from the Arch's entrance, the giant seat elegant yet demanding respect at the same time. Like most of the room, the colour was that of a deep purple.

The shades had been drawn, but thanks to the shockwave of his body passing through the Arch and the universe assimilating his form back into it's original form they had been blown open. Child servants ran from hidden niches and pulled them back closed, blocking the gentle sunlight from the room, plunging it back into an eerie darkness besides the light pushing through the soft cloth covering the windows and the occasional candle.

Azel swept his helmet off and draped his cloak across his body, bowing low as he spied a female seated on the throne flanked by the man in armour with the long sword strapped to his waist. "My Lady." Azel said softly.

Queen Rinoa looked down at Azel, her eyes narrowed to slits as she saw his condition, the dirtied armour and the scratched features. "You have been fighting, my General."

Azel blinked, suddenly uncertain. Her tone was surprisingly neutral. "I had an opportunity to fight, my Lady, and I chose to fight."

He waited for her reply, the silence growing more and more palatable as the time grew between his answer and her response. "Who was it this time?" She asked tiredly, like a parent scolding a child.

"My other. The one called Zell."

He heard her grunt in surprise. "And you defeated him?"

"Utterly, my Lady."

He heard her sigh once more, before speaking again in a bored tone this time. "I expected more from that one…very well, go and get cleaned up and meet back here."

"At once, my Lady." Azel said, standing and bowing again…before pausing. "They are…not happy that I have killed their Zell. The…the Squall vowed to me that they would not stop." He said…before bowing again and exiting the room with an even stride.

Queen Rinoa looked up at the man standing beside the throne and reached out to brush her fingers over his bare hands, which were clasped obediently in front of him. "Do you think they'll be perturbed?"

The man looked down at her, his scarred face painfully void of emotion as he spoke quietly. "If they are anything like us, then they'll stop at nothing to achieve what they want."

The Queen nodded absently, continuing to brush her fingers gently across the man's only evident bare flesh…before speaking again. "Do you think they'll succeed?"

The man spoke once more. "They are weaker then us. They will not succeed."

Queen Rinoa nodded again absently, watching the wind make the cloth covering the windows twist and swirl in pretty patterns, her thoughts lost within herself…

*          *            *

_Well now, ladies and gentlemen. I'll bet you didn't see THAT coming, huh?_

_Will Zell come back to life? Well, seeing as his body was completely destroyed and it's impossible to use magic to revive a person reduced to ash, I don't see how! Hell, I don't even think that the Immortals can pull this one off!!_

_Well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out. You will be seeing more of Zell in the future, though – just, which Zell, however, is what you'll have to find out._

_Oh, and BTW – the dude/dudette who keeps saying 'answer my question' – I've forgotten it, can you repeat it, otherwise I'm just going to ignore you, sorry!!_


	18. Greiving and Revelations

Ch18 – Grieving And Revelations

Squall watched as Azel walked through the portal, his body burning with the effort to keep back, to stay his hand. He knew that he would be defeated if he attacked the Heart now, his mind swamped with anger as it was. He would not fight at his optimum in his condition, and to tell the truth, showing the skill Azel had just shown…the Commander of Balamb Garden was uncertain that he could _beat him_.

So he watched as his enemy disappeared into the portal, the portal flashing away without so much of a blink of light – before Squall screamed, throwing the LionHeart straight through the Arch to lance into the stone wall behind it, the shimmering blue blade cutting deep into the marble and slamming to a stop at the adamantine hilt.

The gunblade's hilt quivered slightly in it's position as Squall turned and walked out of the destroyed building, his face as impassive as ever.

*          *            *

Moving back to where the others had gathered, he looked over them, not knowing what to say.

Rinoa had managed to wrestle herself out of the Stop and had fallen out of Angel almost immediately, knowing instantly that she had failed to stop Azel. She now sat with her back to the small pedestal where Emily had placed Zell's head, weeping softly.

Veronica had managed to finally revive Julius, who was now consoling her at the edge of the forest, the two of them in each other's arms, Veronica sobbing uncontrollably as Julius stared back at the shock of blond hair poking out from the pedestal, his eyes saucer-wide.

Emily, for her part, didn't seem all that perturbed by Zell's death – she simply sat next to Trish, who was lying on the floor, spent from exerting all the anger she could muster at her surroundings, and simply stared at the head, tracing her fingers slowly through Trish's golden hair, not saying a word.

Squall walked over to Rinoa and sat down with an ungraceful thump in the dust. The Sorceress looked up at her Knight with tear-streaked cheeks, who looked back as impassively as the day they met – before she threw her arms around his neck, bawling loudly.

It wasn't the fact that Zell was dead. Zell had been dead numerous times, sometimes from accidents created by them. 

No, it was the fact that _he couldn't be brought back._

Gaian's were unperturbed by death, simply because most of the causes were reversible with a Life or a Full Life. Only the severing of a limb for prolonged periods of time was irreversibly repairable by Cure magic's. Disintegration of the body was the only way known that could really kill a person...that and extreme old age.

Azel had effectively killed Zell when he had decapitated the head – but he had destroyed any chance of _revival_ by destroying the body.

They all sat like that for a second, not saying a word, everyone knowing the horrible truth. They would never see Zell again. Never hear his voice. Never talk to him. He was dead – and it shook them to the very core.

It was Squall who, finally, spoke up, his arms around Rinoa as she continued to cry into his shoulder. "We'd…we'd better bury…" His voice trailed off as Rinoa wailed even more, her nails digging into his back as he patted her on the back uncertainly, not knowing what to do.

Julius walked forward to stand before the head, his face passionless as he reached down tentatively to pick it up in both hands. Lifting it up, he spoke softly to it, hoping his words would be heard in the afterlife. "You gave me back something that was ungivable, pal. And you gave your life to protect it, and us, all. We wont forget this...and we'll make sure that no one back home will forget this…"

He sighed, his words cut short as his voice cracked, and moved over to the centre of the clearing. "C'mon…we can at least send him properly."

The other SeeDs rose to their feet weakly and moved over to join Julius, watching as he placed the head down next to the Uber Ehrgiez Gauntlets. Biting his lip, he lifted his hand – and blasted a small hole into the ground, the Blizzard making a small, ice covered grave for them to place the head in.

Emily stepped forward and, reaching down and gripped the head by the hair, hefted it slightly before tossing it into the grave, the head landing with a loud plop.

"Hey! Don't treat him like that!!" A tearful Rinoa shouted as she stepped forward, her hand slashing through the air – to be arrested instantly by Emily's hand, the fingers snaking around the wrist of the Sorceress tightly.

"Don't you ever raise your hand to me again, do you hear me?" Emily growled, throwing the hand away before stalking over to the edge of the clearing.

Trish looked at the others SeeDs quickly, before running to join Emily, the Goth pushing her away as she reached her. Squall watched as they exchanged words, the exchange seemingly brutal, before they disappeared into the woods.

Rinoa was ropable, unable to contain the anger she felt for Emily's disrespectful action. "That fucking bitch! When she gets back here I'll do more then raise my hand!! I'll…"

Squall stepped forward and embraced her, stopping Rinoa's words with his chest. Rinoa remained rigid with anger for a second as Squall continued to hold her…before she went limp, the tears falling again.

Veronica finally looked up from her look at the ice-covered grave, pulling her eyes away from Zell's face, and frowned. "Hey…why don't we just…you know, go back to the Immortals? They ought to…you know, revive him?"

Squall looked up, his voice emotionless. "I highly doubt that they have the ability to completely remake a human body, Veronica. And besides…the trip would take us days. Days we don't have." He looked down at the grave. "He gave his life so we could go on. So that's what we'll do."

Julius looked up at the gunblader, narrowing his eyes. "So…you're leader now, is that it?"

Squall turned his dead eyes to the hacker, his voice chillingly impassive. "You're welcome to the job, if you want it."

Julius blinked…before looking down. "No…I don't deserve it." He whispered.

They were all silent for a second, the only sounds being Rinoa's sobs and the wind blowing through the trees…before Rinoa sniffed and pulled away from Squall's chest, wiping her nose and turning around to face the grave. Close her eyes for a second, she turned Angel, her wings extracting themselves slowly from her back, her eyes smoking white as they opened once more, the tears turning a silvery white as they trailed down her cheeks.

She held her hand out towards the grave, the air surrounding them suddenly chilling – before ice formed all around the head, covering the hole and lifting the gauntlets up, twisting and spiking as it flowed through the air, solidifying around the metallic gauntlets, the icy tombstone marking the grave. Her job finally done, Rinoa retracted her wings, sniffing once more as she watched the ice begin to smoke, the sheer coldness of the magic causing the water in the air to become more dense and waft into the sky. "This ice…will never melt. It's my tribute…to my friend."

*          *            *

Emily continued to stalk through the woods, unable to contain her anger much longer. The wildly reacting emotions that had been plaguing her for the last few days had suddenly reacted wildly when Trish had tried to take on Azel, Emily seeming to want to…_protect_ the thief, something that she had never felt before.

And then, when Zell had died, all the emotion had gone away. It was like someone had flipped a light switch when Zell's head left his body, turning all her feelings off abruptly. She had welcomed the emptiness, the comfortable and recognisable feeling of not feeling. She had reacted as she would have usually reacted, her body moving the way it usually moved, and she had welcomed it all.

She registered Trish walking beside her, talking her words, her mouth moving but nothing seeming to trigger anything into her mind. She had looked at the blond thief with the same confusing feeling of contempt and want before – now she just looked at a woman.

"Dammit, how could you be so cold?" Trish yelled, the words suddenly making sense to Emily.

"He's dead. He can't care." Emily replied.

"We cared!" Trish shouted…before frowning, confused. "What's…what's happened to you?"

"I've woken up." Emily said coldly, her voice glacial. "I will complete the mission and return home. No more will I be weak, with these 'feelings'."

Trish shook her head. "No…no you haven't woken up. You've _fallen_ _asleep_. You've shut out the feelings, Emily, the things that made you human."

Emily narrowed her eyes. "Leave me alone." She growled, before moving away…to pause as she heard Trish's words come clear into her ears.

"No."

Emily paused in her stalk – before spinning, her hand lashing out across Trish's face. "I said leave." She ordered as Trish regained her balance.

Trish spat out a little blood from the spilt lip she had just gotten, tears forming in her blue eyes – before standing to her full height. "Make me."

Emily grimaced, stepping forward, her eyes glowing blue as Trish lifted up in the air with a telekinetic pulse – to stay there.

Go ahead. A part of her muttered deep within her brain. Do it. You can rip her limbs off and beat her to death with them. Who's going to stop you?

_But…I don't want to._ She meekly retorted.

_Of course you do! All you've got to do is go that extra step! Then you can finish off the rest!!_

_No! I don't want to!!_

Something within her mind snapped, causing Emily to squeeze her eyes shut painfully. _You must set her free from the pain! Just like the other set you free! Give her freedom! GIVE THEM ALL FREEDOM!! NOW!!_

Emily clenched her fists and sank to her knees, doubling over…before throwing her head back, screaming out. "Nooooooo!!"

The dirt around her suddenly blew outwards, wind blasting from her body as something ethereal was forced from her body, Emily using every magic and Blue she could muster to push whatever it was _out_. She screamed shrilly as a transparent black smoke wormed its way from her ears, nose, mouth and eyes, forming a dark cloud before her which twisted and turned…to form arms, a head, teeth…

Emily looked up, exhausted, to watch the smoking cloud suddenly grow burning red eyes, which turned to look down at her. "A…A monster…" She mumbled, trying to push herself to her feet, but unable to summon the strength.

_You're a failure._ The demon growled psychically, lifting it's transparent claw high into the sky. _For that you must die._

The demon paused suddenly, turning with it's burning red eyes wide with shock – as it spied a winged creature with burning white eyes float/walk towards it, it's beautiful face emotionless. _You are what I sensed…amazing that you were able to hide within my comrade so easily. Oh well, you'll die now._

The demon suddenly threw it's hand out, the claws shockingly stretching out to stab directly at Rinoa's heart…before they were arrested not an inch from Rinoa's chest, Rinoa's eyes narrowing slightly in the effort to lock the demon's attack dead still.

Rinoa cocked her head to the side, the smoking white eyes locked onto the demon's red ones as she watched it's transparent face twist in surprise – before she pulsed a charge of psychic energy into the cloud, the pulse travelling easily along the sharp fingers into the smoking black cloud, where there was a small flash within.

The creature shrieked a banshee-like wail – before puffing into nothingness.

Emily sat back on her haunches as Rinoa dropped to the ground, her wings retracting and her eyes losing their Sorceress power – to look down on the Goth sadly, pity in her voice. "You put up with that demon within you for so long…no wonder you act the way you act."

When Emily looked up, breathless, her face was twisted into a snarl. "You have no idea what it was like…to know something was within you, but to deny it's existence…"

"I know. I know all too well."

The two women looked at each other sadly – before Rinoa shook her head and turned around. "We'll be leaving soon, so make sure you're ready. I wont tell anybody about this – only because of Trish. She seems infatuated with you, for some reason." She began to walk away – before pausing. "One last thing…"

"Just spit it out." Emily said, exasperated.

"You owe me, Zell, and Trish a really, really big debt. Don't you ever, ever forget that."

Emily snorted as Rinoa walked away…but watched the woman go with a look of contempt.

*          *            *

Rinoa exited the forests feeling a little more then shaken. _What was that thing? I've never felt anything like that before…it felt like a GF, but it wasn't…could it have gotten in her in one of the other Universes? Or was it from Gaia? Are there more in the others? Is there one in me?_

She blinked suddenly as Trish ran up to her. "Is she okay? Tell me she's alright!!"

Rinoa smiled a small smile and placed a hand on the thief's shoulder. "She's okay. She might not say so, but she needs you right now."

Trish nodded, before running off in the direction in which Rinoa had come from.

Rinoa watched her go, before sighing heavily. _I didn't sense anything in her…but how am I supposed to check the others?_

"Rinoa…" Squall said, walking over to her, gathering her attention. "Is everything okay? We heard some pretty weird noises, and Trish was babbling about some kind of monster?"

"It was nothing, Squall." Rinoa said quickly. "I just had to calm her down a little. That's all. Trish probably say some kind of freaky Blue that Emily has. You know how weird those can be." Rinoa watched as the gunblader nodded, but she could see the doubt in his eyes. Moving over to him, she gathered him up in her arms, holding him close. "We're…all stressed right now, because of Zell. But…we need to keep moving. You know that. I know that. And although it's hard…we need to do it."

She felt him nod slowly, before disengaging himself from her grasp and walking over to the Arch building, gesturing  Julius and Veronica to follow, the two standing at Zell's tombstone shuffling after Squall slowly, not leaving each other's side for a second.

Rinoa watched them go, before turning back to the forest – before sighing and following after Squall.

*          *            *

Trish walked slowly through the woods, her arms hugged tight around her chest as she actively searched for Emily. She knew that she could simply teleport near to her location – her magic training she and Emily had done during their time in the Immortal Universe had grown to such that she could almost pinpoint certain energy signals – a person's personal Chi field – but she also knew that in doing so, she would most probably scare the woman.

So she continued to walk, not bothering to call out Emily's name – simply searching blindly, moving slowly around the moss-covered trees and across the grass-covered ground.

She finally found the Goth sitting on a tree-trunk of a that must've fallen eons ago – the trunk was as thick and wide as a building. Trish looked up, way up, to see the woman dangling her legs over the edge, her face blank as usual – except she seemed to be thinking instead of impassively observing.

Trish meandered over to the trunk slowly, taking her time before speaking. "You want some company?"

There was no reply.

"So…you wont mind if I come up?"

Again, no reply.

A very brief concentration later and Trish was standing next to the Goth, looking down at her as she looked away into the trees. Approaching her slowly, Trish sat down next to her, making sure not to get too close.

And thus they sat, not saying a word, simply drinking in the beautiful surroundings. The treetops danced elegantly as a breeze passed over them, causing light to splay out into the ground-line, making spots of white dance over the grass like wood-nymphs playing amongst themselves. The occasional leaf fell from the sky, floating down in a graceful dance that made elegant ballerinas seemed like clumsy fools. Trish noticed a small yellow worm-esque thing emerged from a small knot-hole in the wood of the tree trunk, the worm worming it's wormy way out of the wood to sit on the mossy bark like it was exhausted – before it's skin suddenly split and a small, winged creature flew out of the body, flapping it's quickly drying wings erratically for a second – before fluttering off into the distance, disappearing into the woods like a multi-coloured shadow.

"I have no excuse for my actions." Emily said suddenly, making Trish start with surprise.

"N-no excuse for what?" Trish asked, blinking to regain composure. She had gotten used to the serenity.

Emily didn't seem to hear her. "I was abandoned by my parents when I was around five, for the better I suppose. They never treated me right. The Galbadian SeeDs took me in almost immediately, probably for my Blue's. Even when I was that young I was able to use them, and use them I did. But as I trained and grew stronger, it became apparent that I wasn't interested in helping people – I was only interested in _hurting _people, in making sure that they got what they deserved, even the ones that didn't need my deservance."

"So Master Martine decided to…_loan_ me to the Galbadians. I was given a mission – to train alongside the Galbadia Army's elite – and report back to Martine in case anything seemed suspicious. I think I was about eleven at the time. Of course, everything we did was suspicious – but I didn't care. I was having the time of my life. Killing people who I wanted to, not taking crap from anybody…I was in control. For once, I was in control. No instructors, no tests, no rules – just wits, skill, strength and you."

"But when Edea showed, everything went to the shit. The Galbadian Army was up in arms more then ever, every soldier more trigger-happy then they had ever been. Deling had died, Seifer had taken control of the show…and there we were. This rag-tag bunch of super-soldiers, not doing anything, simply sitting back and _watching _as the world tore itself apart thanks of Time Compression. Nobody thought of using us. Edea regarded us as a joke, Seifer couldn't care less of us…we were alone."

"Then, of course, Squall, Rinoa and the other SeeD idiots saved the day – barely – and the world simply shut down. What was once a planet dripping with tension and poised to rip each other's throats out was suddenly in peace times again. President Justice came into power, flaunting his peace treaties and his budgets cuts for the military…and we were quickly made redundant."

"Sure, we were used every now and then – you think President Justice got where he needed to go with nothing but a kind word and a smile? People got what they needed…but only the unjust. Only the evil. And something within me burned for the days of wanton destruction, craved the days where I could simply point at a person at random and his head would _burst_ like an over-ripe tomato…but the day never came."

"Finally, Carpenter arrived. Saying things like 'you're coming home', 'you've been waisted by Martine and Deling', and giving me the 'grand plan' to see if I could humble the great Hunter. And I jumped at the opportunity. I was so sick of being cooped up with nobody but those other three for so long…"

"But, like the others, I was swatted aside and Zell just kept on going. By that time I was deep within Deling's little own little mercenary army – the Defectors, they called themselves – and was prime to deliver the final strike in-case Zell failed. I knew Sam's weaknesses – he was, after all, my own brother. He could have never stood up to my Blues. But no."

"Carpenter pulled me out. He told me to protect Justice – the one person who I despised the most. Acting all high and mighty – but in the end, just like Deling. Using us for his own selfish ends. And, although I followed the order, there was a second where I just wanted to reach down and crush his already frail windpipe for having kept me in that hell…"

"But I didn't. Because something held my hand. Something told me that I wasn't going to pull myself down to that level, even though I had been there and beyond so many times. And as I walked out of the hospital room, something within me began to grow weaker."

"It was then that I found that my Junction abilities were beginning to wear thin, my Blues only working if I concentrated harder. Before everything was so…easy, so simple. I just let my rage out, and my power flowed along with it. But now that I had found compassion…it had begun to eat away at me."

"So that's why you've been acting so tough…" Trish whispered, her voice meek with shock. "…You've been trying to regain what you lost."

Emily lowered her head dejectedly, her voice now carrying a twinge of sadness within it. "It was only with the death of the Hunter that I finally realised that…it wasn't me who was wanting to kill. It was the thing you saw. The demon within me." She looked up at the leaf-filled sky, and Trish could see the tears rolling down her cheeks. "But now it's left it's mark within me. It's scarred me in a way I don't think any magic can heal. I don't think I can _feel_ anymore. I can't feel anything…not a thing."

Trish reached forward and wiped a tear off of the woman's face, showing her the droplet poised on her fingertip. "This is feeling. This is what you still have. This is what you have been showing the past weeks."

Emily looked down at the tear on Trish's finger…before hanging her head, allowing the droplets to flow freely, a lifetime to oppression and torture releasing itself in one long purge. Trish shifted over, wrapping her arms around her lover's shoulders, burying her head in her shoulder and allowing Emily to cling to her.

She had been a murderer, a terrorist, an assassin, and worse…but it was all in the past. Every day revealed something new in the life-cycle. And nothing was able to change that.

*          *            *

"They've been gone a while…" Julius muttered as he re-set up the laptop from where it had been flung during Azel and Zell's fight. Amazingly it had remained intact and seemed to be operating perfectly.

_They've got much to talk about…_ Rinoa pulsed to him, looking down at him with her smoking white eyes. _Aren't you done yet?_

"Hang on, hang on…there. Go for it."

Rinoa sighed a psychic sigh, and stepped/floated forward towards the Arch, beginning to cast and store the magic's needed.

As the light of the magic began to fill the room, Emily and Trish walked in, Trish leading Emily slowly and holding her by the hand. All eyes were fixed on Emily, and the looks she was being given weren't all nice – but Trish simply took her to the side and gave her her pack before slinging her own on. "Don't worry about them, hon. They'll get over it."

Emily was obviously distraught – but her warrior spirit still remained. "They'd better…" She mumbled as she shouldered her pack.

"There you go." Trish said with a smile before kissing her on the forehead gently and moving over to stand next to Squall.

Squall looked down at her, his face remaining impassive. "Is she alright?"

Trish blinked, looking up at the gunblader. "Yeah…she's fine."

"Good. I'll need everyone in top condition from now on. No more stops to admire scenery. We're on a mission now."

Trish rolled her eyes. "Gee, holidays over huh?"

Squall looked down at her for a second – before looking back up at the Arch. "Whatever…" He muttered as the Arch finally exploded into life, the welcome blue of Rinoa's signature portals lighting up their surroundings healthily. Rinoa dropped out of Sorceress easily and was handed her pack by a shell-shocked Veronica, who had watched the whole procedure with muted amazement, and turned to Squall.

"What now, hon?" Rinoa asked. _Speech time._ She pulsed to him.

Squall moved forward to place his back to the Arch whilst looking at the others as they all stood together. He sighed, looking down at his feet…before looking up. "I know…Zell's gone. And I know that we wont see him again. But that doesn't mean we don't have a job to do. We need to put what happened here behind us and move on. We're all stronger from it, and we are all prepared for the worst now. Zell would have wanted us to do it this way…I know it."

Running out of words, Squall got serious. "Right, lets get a move on. Emily, Julius, take the rear, Rinoa and Veronica, you stay in the middle, Me and Trish will take point. Move out."

Trish blinked for a second – before Emily whispered in her ear. "Oh, he want me on the front…" Trish muttered to herself as she ran up beside the tall gunblader.

Taking a deep breath, Squall stepped forward, one hand on his gunblade hilt, the other outstretched to be enveloped by the warmth of the portal as he moved _into_ the Arch…

*          *            *

And straight into a wall.

There was a loud bang that echoed around the room as Squall took a step back, rubbing his nose painfully. "Dammit…" He muttered as he stepped out from behind the Arch and looked around, the blue glow of the Arch bathing the room eerily.

It looked like a bunker of sorts, the south side made entirely of a steel door which retracted into the roof, and a small window sat near the ceiling at the east side of the room. Squall couldn't see what was behind the window – but he could see various different statues and relics piled high around the room.

_Some kind of storeroom…_ Squall thought to himself as he looked around, taking his pack off and letting it drop to the ground slowly. _I wonder what kind of place this is…_

There was a loud bang followed by a yelp, and Squall turned to watch as Trish walked out from behind the Arch, rubbing her nose, her eyes brimming with tears. "That hurt…" She mumbled as she looked at the Arch, before kicking it angrily. "Whose idea was it to put it up backwards?! Idiots!!"

Squall couldn't help but smirk, quickly veiling it as he turned back to his inspection of the room. "Keep quiet for a second whilst we scout the area out."

Trish muttered something that could have been an insult, but Squall wasn't listening as he stepped forward, walking into the stacks, moving like a ghost, quick and silent. 

Weaving his way through the stacks of items and relics he realised that, in their three minutes since their arrival, Trish hadn't made a sound. _Must be the stealth training she's been given…Squall thought to himself – as he turned the corner to bump into someone, knocking them down to land with a surprised yelp._

The LionHeart was out in an instant, the blue blade flashing to life and sizzling through the air – to stop at Trish's neck, the edge only just stopping as Trish looked up at him from where he had knocked her down.

She looked scared for a second – before seeing as he had made a mistake. Anger crept into her features as he reached down and gave her a hand up, mumbling an apology. "Yeah, you ought to be sorry! Waving that thing around like a freaking maniac! You could've taken my head off with that thing!!"

Squall sighed and turned around, walking back to the Arch. "I'm beginning to wish I had…" He muttered as he blocked out Trish's angry retorts and stuck his arm into the Arch, beckoning for the others to follow, seeing as nothing had harmed them so far. They all piled through the Arch one at a time, each one getting a rude introduction to the new universe – except for Emily and Julius, whose backs bumped into the wall thanks to their backwards entrance as the Arch finally sizzled out, an annoyed Rinoa rubbing her nose as she switched the magic off.

Almost immediately they were plunged into darkness, causing Rinoa to shriek. "Hey! Who turned the lights out!! Squall, where are you?!"

"Hey! I'm not Squall!!" Julius yelled

"Who's touching me!" Trish suddenly cried.

"It's me." Emily's voice said calmly.

"Oh. That's alright then…"

Squall activated his LionHeart again, the shimmering blue blade shedding light to the situation. Holding it up for them to look around with, he spoke quietly. "We seem to be in some kind of abandoned warehouse. There are statuettes and tablets regarding the winged race we've been seeing around the Arches. Rinoa, Veronica, look these over and see if you can figure anything out. Trish, Julius, there's a large door on the south wall with no knob or activation stub I could find. Open it. Emily and I will keep watch over the Arch, in case we get surprised again."

Orders given, the team spread out, each going to their designated task. Trish and Julius walked over to the door and began to look it over, checking the edges, looking over the seams it was built in as the room was suddenly bathed in Fire-light cast by Rinoa, the Fires hovering at regular intervals around the room.

Rinoa and Veronica walked amongst the stacks, looking over the tablets and statues. Many were of women with wings, their eyes smoking, each set in an almost god-like position – reverence or illumination. As Rinoa walked through them she brushed her fingers lightly over the small statues, her face growing grimmer with each tiny woman she touched. Veronica looked over them all, wondering just what it all meant. She was, to say the least, feeling rather confused.

Suddenly Rinoa stopped still at a large six-foot slab leant against the wall, Veronica ramming into her, causing both girls to stumble forward. Rinoa threw her hands out to protect herself as she flew into the slab, her hands slamming into the dusty rock – 

"Demons are only made in the physical form when there is enough spiritual, emotional or Chi energy for them to do so. A demon, or monster if you will, can never be really killed. You can only destroy the corporeal body enough for it to revert back to it's original form – a ghost, a phantom. And hopefully, after you've done this, the demon will move on."

Rinoa stumbled back, blinking as she fell back wards onto the ground, looking up at the slab with wide eyes. "What the hell was that?!" She breathed.

*          *            *

"They came through the Archway, sir. They've secured the area with military precision and have began to make a more thorough sweep. It seems the have two working on the door."

"Set up a perimeter around the door, infantry only, no traps. We want them alive. Anything to suggest that they pose a threat?"

"Well…the guy dressed in the black leather is carrying some kind of lightsaber, and they've seemed to lit some kind of invisible candles around the edges of the warehouse to give them light to work, but apart from that, they don't seem like much harm."

"A lightsaber, you say?"

"…Yes, sir."

"…Very good, Corporal Biggs. I'll be with the team when we are ready to go in. Open the doors at my signal."

"Yes Major Almasy."

*          *            *

"Are you alright?! I'm so sorry…" Veronica said, reaching down and helping the shell-shocked Sorceress up.

Rinoa got back to her feet and dusted herself off, composing herself. "It's alright. I just…wigged out when I touched this tablet. I sensed something…but now it's gone."

Veronica looked at Rinoa with worry on her face. "Does…this happen often?"

Rinoa smiled at her. "Not often."

"Oh…"

Rinoa watched as Veronica looked down and tightened her grip on her staff and felt a small drop of pity for the girl. She had been rudely taken from the world and had been resurrected at the worst time. All Rinoa could do was give her shoulder a friendly squeeze. "Don't worry. We'll be home in no time. You'll see."

Veronica smiled at Rinoa nervously. "It's not that…it's just that, everyone is so changed. Zell had changed, Julius has changed…even Squall has changed, although I had only met him once, I'm talking to a Sorceress who us SeeDs are sworn to destroy, and to top it all off, I got a killer headache."

Rinoa couldn't help but laugh out loud at the poor girl. "Not having a good time, hey?! Well, never mind, I feel exactly the same way honey."

"It's helpful to know that, Rinoa…thankyou."

"Don't mention it." Rinoa said, dropping the subject as easily as she had started it and turning back to the tablet. "Just…watch out if anything else happens, okay?"

Veronica nodded, stepping back to give Rinoa some room.

Rinoa waked forward slowly, approaching the tablet with something bordering on caution. The presence she had felt earlier had left now, and whilst that made her feel slightly relieved, the feeling of worry was stronger. _What was it? and more importantly, what was the voice I heard babbling about? Does it have something to do with Emily's demon?_

Reaching out cautiously with a trembling hand, Rinoa pressed her hand against the stone, feeling it's smooth, cold texture and nothing else. She let out a small sigh of relief, before lifting her other hand up, the palm bursting into flame as she began to examine the symbols.

*          *            *

"Major Almasy, we're ready to execute entrance procedures on your command."

"Remember, I want them intact and alive if possible. Shoot to maim if you have to – but no kills."

"Sir…we don't even know if a shot to an arm will stop these creatures. Hell, we don't even know if our bullets will stop them!"

"Sergent Zone, I am giving you a direct order! We will not kill these creatures, do you understand me!!"

"Yes Major!"

*          *            *

Julius turned to Trish as she examined the small button pad on the left side of the door. She was rubbing her chin and pressing in different combinations as Julius cleared his throat – before throwing her arms up into the air in frustration. "I give up, I don't even know what the symbols on the buttons mean, let alone be able to…" She paused as Julius gripped her arm. "What? What's wrong?"

Julius' voice was quiet, his face stone cold serious. "I think…I hear something."

Trish frowned. "And what, exactly, can you hear? Can you be a bit more specif…"

Julius quickly pressed a finger against her lips, shutting them. Trish looked extremely pissed off as he withdrew the finger, but decided to keep quiet as the look he shot her was one of importance.

He looked around at the others, spying Rinoa and Veronica talking quietly amongst themselves at the other end of the room, whilst Squall and Emily stood watch next to the Arch, each looking like statues as their eyes didn't waver from the stone doorway – before turning to Trish, whispering delicately. "Do you have a stethoscope in your pack?"

Trish blinked at the question – before nodding. "My safe-cracking stethoscope. I use it to hear the tumblers as I turn the dials. What do you need it for?"

She spoke as she reached into her kit, giving him the apparatus gently, as if the motion was too noise. He accepted the apparatus equally gently, but spoke silently. "As SeeDs, we're trained to hone _all_ our senses. Sight, smell, hearing, even our taste-buds are…'trained' to note any differences in food to see if it's been poisoned. I could probably hear things you've never heard in your life, although I'm pretty sure you've been given the same kind of training for your safe-cracking skills."

Trish nodded, her attention fully drawn to him as he placed the ear-buds in his ears and lifted the plate to the door, placing it firmly against it. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he listened hard, trying to feel the vibrations of sound move through the air through the door and into the stethoscope, travel up the plastic tube and into his ear.

He narrowed his eyes further as Trish began to speak – but held his hand up to silence her. "Wait, wait…I think…I think…"

He stood suddenly, grabbing Trish by the shoulder and kicking his pack out of the way. "Squall!! We got people on the other side of the door!!" He yelled.

*          *            *

"Sir! I think he heard you from the other side, sir!"

"Shit! Okay, open it, go go go!!"

"Opening hanger door, sir!"

*          *            *

Almost immediately the gigantic door slid up, harsh white light pouring in, causing the soft light of the Fires seem like lit candles in a brightly lit hallway. Julius and Trish, blinded as they were, quickly stumbled back and away from the light, ducking behind a stack quickly.

A phalanx of armed men, dressed in dark black fatigues, dark black boots and a dark black ski-mask, their military webbing clattering with the noise of spare clips, grenades and radios. Their short, stubby sub-machine guns were up and trained in all directions, long red laser beams streaking out from a little underneath the gun barrels, cutting through the darkness of the room as the flames suddenly snuffed out.

"Sir! Entrance secure, sir!!" One man shouted, his dark black machinegun sweeping across the room as he crouched down a meter away from the entrance.

A tall man, dressing in military green fatigues, walked slowly into the room, his arms clasped behind his back. He looked across the room with a cold glare, his eyes a shatteringly icy blue. He briefly flicked his blond hair back form his eyes with a flip of the head, before pressing down on a small radio ear-piece, activating the all-command. "Fan out, sweeping pattern, I want each man partnered. If you spot a foreign element, make sure you radio in the contact. Keep well away from them, get them cornered, do not make any physical contact, I repeat, do not make physical contact."

He narrowed his cold blue eyes, the action causing the scar running across the bridge of his nose to crinkle slightly. "Move out."

*          *            *

The team had moved into the furthest corner of the room, the four SeeDs taking formation in front of Trish and Rinoa in a semi-circle. Squall watched, crouched down, as the men began to span out from the doorway. "Advanced military techniques. These guys are good."

"What do we do, fearless leader?" Emily asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She hadn't enjoyed how Squall had pulled her roughly from advancing into the men, his hand firm on her shoulder as he had switched off the energy blade.

_"No! No hostility!"_

Squall looked down, his mind clanking and whirring as the cogs and wheels churned. He looked up, watching the commander of the unit whisper orders into a microphone, the silhouette of the man framed by the light pouring out of the door. The stance of the man was confident. "They're professionals, but they're not Hearts. I think they'll be wanting to capture and interrogate us – but from the way he spoke I don't think they'll mean us any harm."

"How do you know that?" Trish whispered, her voice full of fright. "How could you hear his voice?"

"I've got good hearing. Look – when they find us, simple stand and make sure you have your hands visible. They're using some kind of projectile weaponry. No magic either – I think they'll be scared if we use it."

"And what happens if they catch us and decide to hand us over to the Hearts, like the Crisps?" Emily muttered, her stance not wavering.

Squall narrowed his eyes as the soldiers seemed to melt into view from the darkness into view, their bodies seeming to just…come into focus, their guns trained on the SeeDs, each man seeming to stop and crouch just at the edge of the stacks, not moving. "We'll just have to take that chance."

*          *            *

Zone crouched down just five meters away from the group, his P-90 rifle trained on the man nearest to him. He narrowed his eyes as the man stood slowly and lifted his hands high. Taking his hand away from supporting the bullpup-style rifle, he keyed his radio microphone attached to his shoulder, talking into it softly and succinctly. "Major Almasy. We've located all six of them. They're near were they entered the building, in the north corner. I've isolated the leader. He seems to want to speak."

_"Has he said anything yet?"_

"No sir. He's just standing there. He's a cold motherfucker, though. He's got the iciest stare. Much like…"

_"Like who?"_

Zone cursed inwardly. "…Like you, sir."

There was a chuckle at the other end of the line, before Major Almasy spoke again. "Don't do anything, just keep him in your sights. I'll get Biggs to turn the lights on and I'll come and meet him."

*          *            *

Squall watched the man speak into the bulky-looking microphone attached to the shoulder of his fatigues, narrowing his eyes slowly as the words came out of his mouth. He shot a look down at Julius beside him. "Did you get that?"

"Nope. Couldn't understand a gods-damn thing."

"Emily?"

"No."

Veronica spoke quietly, her grip on her staff tightening as it hung limply by her side, her voice wavering. "Do…you reckon they're friendly?"

Julius shot a look down at her, his eyes full of worry. "Don't worry, hon. If they were going to do something they would have done it by now. I'm sure everything will be…"

They all jumped suddenly as the lights in the roof flashed on, bathing them in white light.

*          *            *

Emily, the tension and the shock suddenly getting to her, heard the frightened cry of Trish behind her and sprang into action, seeming to move on auto-pilot.

Stepping forward quickly towards the closest soldier, she grabbed the barrel of the gun and pulled it up, the barrel blaring red fire as the man jerked his finger on the trigger in surprise. The sound was deafening to Emily – who slammed her palm into the man's chest, sending him flying into the nearest stack, his body folding like a house of cards as he rebounded off the stack to fall limp to the floor.

"Dammit Emily!! Stand down!!" Squall screamed as the Goth flicked her hand out to the neck of the soldier next to her, the fist smashing straight into his face and sending him tumbling away.

*          *            *

"Shit!! Man down! Man down! Open fire!!" Zone screamed – before opening up with his P-90, the tracer-rounds slashing red fire through the air towards the group as they suddenly seemed to unfold, the crouching, almost terrified looking bunch of kids seeming to span out, ducking and flipping past the bullets as they pounded into the wall behind them.

His team-mates followed suit, pressing down on the triggers on their guns and pressing down hard. Tracer rounds ripped through the air at stupefying speeds, sending a network of red lines through the air which spider-webbed around the small group of kids, their bodies seeming to simply…twist through the networks, flying straight around and through them as if the bullets…weaved past them.

"Parker's down! So is Banner!! What the fuck is going on!" Zone heard Wayne scream over the sound of the gunfire. The woman with the earrings in her face had moved through her first three men like they were nothing at all, her strength seeming to defy logic as she sent Kent flying through a metal shelf and into the concrete wall, the wall crumbling beneath him.

The woman with the staff suddenly appeared before him, spinning the staff with unreadable speed and knocking the P-90 out of his grasp, the gun ending it's long splurt of hot lead with a loud _brapp_ as it clattered to the floor behind him. The end of the staff was suddenly shoved into his stomach, and he felt himself be lifted up and over the girl's head to crash into the ground, his back seeming to explode into fire as he felt the concrete crumble underneath him.

*          *            *

Squall's mind was burning with a mixture of anger and contempt for Emily as his gunblade roared into life, the energy blade seeming to sing as he swung it up and across a man's body, skidding forward and under the string of gunfire as he sliced the weapon in his arms _in two!_

The weapon suddenly split down the middle, cutting in half across the middle and simply falling to the ground, the man falling down with it to stare up at Squall, his eyes wide within the ski-mask as he desperately retreated.

Turning and slicing a barrage of bullets out of the air with unerring accuracy, Squall quickly threw his hand out at the man firing at him, the Aero blowing the man off his feet and through a stack of relics – before turning to the next one closest to him, holding his hands out. "Wait!! Don't shoot!!" He screamed – before the man turned on him and opened fire.

Squall, unprepared for the sudden burst of gunfire, stepped back as the bullets were stopped in mid-air by a bluish-green screen, the Protect flashing with each bullet slamming into the screen of adamantine-hard magic.

He watched as the man cocked his head to the side in confusion and seised fire, lowering the gun in his arms slowly as the Protect formed around Squall to envelope him completely. Squall turned to see who had cast it – to see Rinoa smile at him, her hands held out from where she stood – she hadn't moved a muscle when the shooting had started.

Squall looked over, realising that the gunfire had stopped – to see that all the SeeDs were covered in a Protect, the soldiers stopping their fire and retreating back towards the entrance of the room, their smoking guns still trained on the SeeDs as they backed away to a safe distance, abandoning the men who lay still.

Julius looked over to Emily and promptly head butted the man who was struggling in his grip, the man going limp before the blond hacker dropped him to the ground and spoke up. "What the hell was that, Emily?" Julius muttered.

Emily looked away form the group, her face impassive as usual. "Sorry." She muttered.

Trish suddenly appeared in a puff of smoke, dropping to the floor gently next to Emily. She had instantly teleported to the top of a stack as soon as the gunfire had started, and was now looking very relieved. "Well, so much for first impressions, hey?" She said with grin – but instantly removed the smile as she saw the look Squall gave her.

*          *            *

Zone retreated back to the doorway as he was instructed by the Major, his handgun trained on the group of…things as he moved through the opening into the corridor behind it. Looking down at the gun in his hands, he realised that it was shaking along with his hands, and he lowered the weapon slowly.

A hand suddenly dropped onto his shoulder, causing him to jump and spin, his gun suddenly whipping up – to train into the face of his young commander, the scarred face not seeming to flinch as the high-powered Desert Eagle was suddenly shoved into his face.

Major Almasy reached up slowly and placed a finger on the barrel of the shaking pistol, slowly lowering the gun and speaking with an ice-cold demeanour. "What the _fuck happened in there, Sergent."_

"The…the lights, sir. I guess…it spooked them."

"I gave you a direct order not to fire."  
Zone blinked. "I-I'm sorry, sir. The girl took down Parker, so I…"

His words were stopped as Major Almasy walked past him, his voice ice cold. "I'll hear your excuses later, Wedge. I'm going to talk to them…now."

*          *            *

"What do you think they'll do?"

Squall deactivated his LionHeart and clipped it to his belt, his voice edged with malice as he spoke. "We talk. We apologise. We make sure we get across that _we mean no harm. Does _everyone _ understand that?" He growled, looking directly at Emily as he spoke._

The Goth snorted, but nodded all the same.

"Do not attack again unless I give the order. We do not want to make them scared of us. We need to find another Arch to pass through, and so far all the signals gesture towards not being able to pass through unless we fight. And we don't want to do that right now. We don't need a whole universe after us."

Squall stopped talking as a single man emerged from behind the stacks, moving forward slowly, his hands held out in an obvious show that he wasn't armed.

Rinoa's eyes widened slightly as she saw his face, the shock of blond hair, the scar across the man's face. "Squall…it's Seifer."

"I know, Rinoa. I know."

*          *            *

Major Seifer Almasy approached the group of people slowly, his hands held out before him in a show of peace. He heard them speak in a dialect that he had never heard before, frowning slightly. They looked like normal human beings, university students at best – but had displayed signs of strength and speed he had never seen before. Not only that, but the woman were all stunningly beautiful – especially the raven-haired beauty who had seemed to speak to the one in black leather.

He looked over at her, and realised that she was staring at him with a look that somehow bordered on shock and recognition. He frowned at the look – but shrugged it off. Looking over at the man who had wielded the blue light-saber, noting that he had clipped the weapon to his belt, he spoke up. "Oi, you."

He gathered the man's attention, the man turning his head to look at him. There was almost a dead expression on his face, not seeming to show any emotion whatsoever. "Yeah, you. Do you come in peace, or are you here to kick our asses?"

The boy narrowed his eyes, before shaking his head. Seifer looked down at the floor and lowered his hands in exasperation. _He doesn't understand me. Shit._ He turned to look behind him. "Zone! Get your ass over here!" He yelled. "And leave your webbing behind!"

*          *            *

Squall watched as Seifer spoke. "Od uoy emoc ni ecaep, ro era uoy ereh ot kcik rur sessa?"

Squall frowned at the garbled dialect. There was an evident Galbadian accent to the man's voice, but the words were crazily strewn. He had no idea how to answer the doppelganger of his former enemy, so he simply shook his head, unable to think of any other way to get his incomprehension over.

He watched Seifer sigh and turn, barking out an order. This made Squall smile a small smile. _Just like Seifer to get someone else. He never had a lot of patience._

He watched as one of the men dressed in black peeled away from the group standing at the entrance and pulled off his webbing, dropping it to the floor along with his large pistol, before walking over to Seifer slowly, taking his time to walk through the stacks.

As he approached the doppelganger, Squall watched as Seifer turned to the man. "ekat ffo rouy ksam, Eonz. Ew t'nod tnaw ot eracs meht erom neht ew evah ot."

The man paused as he walked up behind Seifer, before reaching up and pulling off his mask, revealing a cute face and a shock of brown hair.

Rinoa gasped as she saw who it was.

*          *            *

Zone watched as the pretty girl in the back gasped and raised a hand to her lips as she watched him rip off his mask, before looking up at Seifer cautiously. "What was that, sir?"

"Mmm. She did it with me, too. The leader as well. It's like they've recognised me. You too, it seems."

"What now?"

"They don't seem to understand English. You know a few languages. Give it a whirl." Major Almasy watched as Zone blinked in disbelief, before gesturing him forward. "Just get on with it, Sergent."

"O-okay, sir." Zone muttered, stepping forward and looking over the group.

*          *            *

Squall watched as the man stepped forward and began to speak hesitantly, first in the same garbled language as Seifer had uttered, before trying another language, sounding more light and less guttural as the first, but still incomprehensible none-the-less. Squall placed a hand on his hip and watched the man with a tired look as the man blanched and tried another language that Squall couldn't understand.

The man seemed to be running out of languages as Squall turned to Julius. "Get out your laptop, see if you can get a reading of their language. I think I have an idea. Everyone put on your Walkie Talkies."

*          *            *

Seifer watched as Zone finally gave up, turning around with an aggravated expression on his face. "I've tried Japanese, Chinese, Hindu, Pakistani, Finnish, German, French and even a little Swahili. They don't understand, Sir."

Seifer nodded slowly – before watching as the leader turned to the other male, the tall blond nodding and pulling off the shiny backpack that was lashed to his back and, placing it on the ground, opened it to pull out what looked like a laptop.

He narrowed his eyes as the rest of the bunch suddenly reached into pockets or folds of robes to pull out ear-pieces and wrist-bands, the man in black leather walking slowly forward and handing Seifer an ear-piece before gesturing for him to put it on, pointing at his ear.

Seifer looked at Zone, before pushing the ear-wig into his right ear. The leader spoke softly in his strange language, the reception coming in nice and clear. Seifer gave him a thumbs up, and the man turned to the other one.

*          *            *

Julius tapped in a few commands, before looking up at Squall. "Rightyo, all set. All you need to do now is to get them to speak for a few seconds. Anything will do. I can pull out the basic lingual vibrations and convert them to Gaian easily after that…I think."

"Good." Squall said, before turning back to Seifer, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. _Now how do I get them to speak for a few seconds…_

*          *            *

Seifer stood still, waiting for the man to make the next move. Obviously he was trying to do something to rectify the lingual situation using some kind of radio equipment, but he wasn't so sure. Now the man stood before him with a thoughtful look on his face, as if he was thinking of what to do next.

Suddenly the man moved, gesturing with his hands, flapping his fingers open and shut like a quacking duck as he spoke in his own strange language slowly.

Seifer frowned. _What the hell is he on?_

*          *            *

"Can…you…say…something…for…me?" Squall said slowly, using his hand to sign language a mouth talking. It was something that Zell did a lot whenever someone talked too much – Squall thought the same idea would be applied here. After all, it was…universal. Zell even managed to make it…mildly amusing.

But the man before him simply cocked an eyebrow and frowned, obviously not understanding. Not only that, but the others were giggling at him, Rinoa having to put a hand over her mouth to stop herself.

Squall turned and shot them all a deadpan look. "Well, if you can do something better, you can go right ahead." He muttered, walking over to Rinoa.

Rinoa was instantly sorry, rubbing Squall's shoulder as he leant against the wall next to her. "Oh, we're sorry baby. I'm sure he'll get the idea if you try again."

This brought a fit of giggles from Trish and Veronica again, and even Emily smiled at the thought of Squall doing the embarrassing thing again. The reaction that Seifer had given him had been priceless.

Squall sighed and grimaced, turning his head away. "No."

Veronica sighed, before stepping forward. "I'll try then."

Julius watched her go. He hadn't said anything about the attack on Trabia yet – she still didn't know that Seifer had been the one to issue the order to launch the missiles. And he was pretty sure that if she had known, she would have approached the tall scarred man more differently.

*          *            *

Seifer watched as the young woman walked up to him, her robes flowing around her elegantly as she approached him slowly. He looked down at her with a cold stare, cocking his eyebrow. _Now what?_ He thought to himself.

He blinked when she suddenly reached out with a hand. "M'i Acinorev. S'tahw rouy eman?"

He frowned. _Is she…introducing herself?_

"I think she wants you to do that same, sir." Zone said quietly, gesturing to the woman's hand.

Seifer chewed on his lip thoughtfully – before reaching out with a big paw and engulfing the tiny hand presented to him. "My name is Major Seifer Almasy of the United States Marine Corps. Welcome to Area 51."

*          *            *

"Ym eman si Rojam Refies Ysamla fo eht Detinu States Marine Corps. Welcome to Area 51." Seifer's voice said over the earpieces in the SeeD's ears, suddenly understandable halfway through the sentence.

Julius gave Squall the thumbs up, and everyone breathed an exasperated sigh of relief as Squall walked forward, extending his own hand. "I am Squall Leonhart of Garden. My rank is A Grade SeeD. We come in peace."

*          *            *

_Welcome to Earth, people!!_

_Quick question – how many figured that it was earth before it was made obvious? And don't answer, Matt, you tit!!_

_As for the 'answer my question' tool – if you can't be arsed asking me the question again, I'm not going to rifle through the 100+ reviews just to find it!! Just ask it and get over yourself, okay?_

_Sorry for the delay of chapter – my life is a busy one, and it took me a while to figure out what to do after Zell's death. Trust me – he will be coming back…but not for a while!!_


	19. Area 51

Ch 19 – Area 51

"It sure doesn't seem that way, Mr. Leonhart." Major Almasy said, crossing his arms. He had no idea how they had done it, but now the boy's voice came in, loud and clear, through the earpiece in his ear, in plain old English.

Squall nodded. "I apologise for my team-mate's sudden outburst. The lights came on without warning – we were all tense. And besides – you had cornered us. Eventually one of us would have attacked."

Seifer narrowed his eyes. "We are a peaceful race, son. We don't wish to harm you – but we will respond with force if necessary."

Zone stepped forward, his eyes wide. "Do you really think that's a wise thing to say sir? I mean, we're all a bit tense here. This is all a misunderstanding."

"Keep yer mouth shut, Zone, before I staple it shut."

Zone bit his lip and stepped back.

Rinoa smiled giggled. "Just like home."

Seifer frowned at the remark, but shrugged it off, looking at Squall once more. "Why are you here?"

Squall sighed. "It's a long story. It would be best told in less…intimidating surroundings." He gestured pointedly at the men stationed just at the opening of the hanger, their large guns pointed down – but their fingers on the triggers.

Seifer followed Squall's look, and nodded. "True. But we can't just let you walk around our base unattended. I'm going to have to give you an armed escort no matter where you go…understood?"

Squall narrowed his eyes. "I told you we come in peace."

Seifer stepped in close, getting right into Squall's face. "And I just saw you put four of my men through two inches of solid steel and drill them into concrete floors. Whatever you are, you certainly aren't from Earth. So we're going to have to take precautions. Is that alright with you, _A Grade_?"

Squall tried not to lash out. It was just like old times – the original tension was back, only this time neither man knew why he was being so aggressive towards the other. It was like the rivalry the Gaian Seifer had for Squall had been passed to this…Earth…Seifer. And Seifer was always good at pushing Squall's buttons. "Very well, _Major,_" Squall found himself growling, "We are at your mercy."

Seifer pulled back from the gunblader with an air of contentment. "You're not at our mercy, boy." He said quietly. "We're just taking steps, that's all. You're welcome to roam the base as you see fit, after we find out a little about each other."

"That seems fair."

Squall turned to the others and surreptitiously switched his microphone off, speaking to the others without Seifer being able to understand. "Okay, guys. We'll follow Seifer and gather intelligence on this universe. Remember, the quicker we find the next arch and leave, the quicker we are able to reach our goal. Now grab your things and follow me."

*          *            *

"Now, let me get this straight…" Seifer muttered, leaning back in his chair dangerously, his body teetering in the edge of the balance between embarrassment and comfort. "You guys are part of a group of mercenaries trained from childhood in military conflicts?"

The SeeDs had been escorted from the hanger through a series of bland, dusty tunnels into what looked like a small mess. Currently Squall and Seifer were conferring with each other whilst the others sat in the other corner of the room, one or two Earth soldiers sitting with them. Squall nodded. "That's right, Major."

"Not only that, but you all have the ability to use…elemental magic's, ranging from the tiny to the destructive?"

"Correct."

Seifer became silent once more, like many times before. Much like the Seifer Squall knew, this Seifer seemed to be as brash and arrogant as usual – but unlike the Seifer Squall knew, this one knew a modicum of discipline – if only a modicum. Right now he was showing that discipline – by frowning, trying to process the information Squall had given him – straight faced – and not trying to dismiss it all as pure nonsense.

Seifer finally spoke up. "Can I see some of this magic?"

Squall looked down at the table he was seated at. It was your usual four-legged wooden table, nothing special about it. Placing his hand palm-down onto the top of it, he cast a brief Blizzard spell, before removing the hand.

Where his hand had been was now a tiny statue of a person leaning back in a chair.

Seifer looked at the statue for a second, before allowing the chair he sat in to fall back into position. Leaning forward to take a closer look, he picked the ice-statue up in his hand and tossed it up and down a bit thoughtfully. "Hmph…" He grunted, impressed.

Squall sat back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"So, that's all you can do? Just…make little figurines out of ice?"  
"Believe me when I say, Major, that I can do a lot more then that."

Seifer narrowed his eyes. "How much more?"

Squall smiled a tiny smile. "A _lot more."_

Seifer bit his bottom lip, seeming to be thinking even more, before placing the ice statue down on the table and leaning back in his chair once more. "Okay. So, you're this 'SeeD'. What are you doing here?"

Squall frowned. _Should I tell him…or should I lie?_

He hadn't really thought of any of the reactions that might have happened thanks to what he might have said to this man. So far all he had told him was what he was allowed to give as prioritised by the mission parameters – basic information on their own universe, as well as their basic duty as a SeeD. Going into depths, however, would only confuse this man further, Squall could see. "I think…it would be best if you didn't know."

Seifer smile coolly. "Really?"

"All you need to know is that it's of the utmost importance to us, and in order for us to advance we will need to gather…some intelligence from you."

Seifer narrowed his eyes. "What kinda intelligence?"

*          *            *

Rinoa watched as Squall and Seifer bargained with each other, the two men seeming to be squabbling amongst themselves much like they did at the Garden. She smiled at the thought of Squall and Seifer muttering insults to each other as they worked along side of each other, each having to put up with the other for the sake of the Garden.

She was also pretty sure that they squabbled, not because of their primary dislike of each other, but also because of her. Although she had been with Seifer for a short while when they were kids and had been given the opportunity to return to him during the Sorceress Quest, she had stuck with Squall, and she thought that, deep down, that hurt Seifer, the stab of sadness slicing through the cool exterior he showed everyone else with surgical precision to slam deep into the heart.

She hadn't been sure of what to do in that situation, and thankfully when Seifer returned to Garden, he had avoided both Squall and Rinoa as much as humanly possible. But she still felt his gaze fall on her every now and then, the emotion so powerful she had no choice but feel it thanks to her Sorceress power – but whenever she turned to confront him he'd shield it with almost inhuman willpower, making whatever he was thinking unreadable, even when she tried.

He had learned from Edea well.

But now this one was completely different from Seifer – in some ways. Rinoa could still see the way Seifer sat in the 'don't fuck with me' way, his almost intolerable attitude towards everything, and the cold way he reacted to everything, as if nothing fazed him.

_He's taking our arrival fairly well…he's seeing things he's never seen before in his entire life without batting an eyelid. That takes guts. _She thought to herself.

She turned to the other men, their faces showing pleasant politeness as they asked questions and talked about trivial things, like if they had baseball in their universe, or if they drank cola. Now with their scary ski masks and most of their offensive gear removed, the men seemed like normal people, with normal smiles and normal behaviour.

But Rinoa knew better. She sensed their fear, the fear that she had sensed when she had talked to the Te-Gets and the Immortals, before they got to know each other. It seemed rational to fear what you didn't know, but Rinoa couldn't comprehend why people would assume the worst of something if they only knew what it could do.

She thought of her own situation. Back on Gaia, her kind – Sorceresses – were shunned and feared, forced to live with hidden powers that could help the world immensely. All because of one little mistake so long ago, one Sorceress with a grudge against the world, she was thought of as some kind of freak, some kind of…evil entity, when she was not.

_Actually, come to think of it, I kinda am…_Rinoa thought for a second, remembering the photograph of the Rinoa with the gigantic wingspan. Throughout their travels they had only received hurt from the Hearts they had come across, and the people they were affiliated with. _A person who tells those warriors to kill and capture like they do must he evil…shouldn't they?_

Rinoa's eyes widened a little. _Unless she was like me when Ultimecia took over me! Or Edea! That might have happened to her as well!!_

This revelation was more confusing then most that Rinoa had, seeing as she didn't think much. Thankfully, she was pulled form her musing by the questions of one of the Earth soldiers, who sat down in from of her, taking a small plastic chair and, turning it around, sat down to lean his chest into the backrest. "Ma'am?"

"Hmm? Yes?" She asked, looking up.

It was the one who looked like Zone. Handsome in a boyish kind of way, the man also had Zone's playful smile and go-get-em attitude. What he lacked, obviously, was Zone's chronic stomachache when faced with situations that demanded courage. "Are you alright, ma'am?" He asked, looking at her with a small smile on his face. "You seemed to be thinking pretty hard there."

Rinoa giggled a little. "I was just thinking about those two." She said, pointing over at Squall and Seifer, who were now beginning to speak in rushed tones. "Even here they can't get along."

"What do you mean, ma'am?" Zone asked, frowning in confusion.

Rinoa paused for a second, looking at the others. Julius and Veronica sat on a small couch just next to her, Veronica in Julius' arms, Emily and Trish sitting just at the foot of the couch. The SeeDs seemed to look at each other, trying to figure out wether or not to talk about the mission. Where they had been able to trust the Immortals, every other universe they had come across had already known about the Sorceress Queen. And whilst the Heart Warrior had said that this universe served no real purpose to the Queen, Rinoa still didn't know…

"We're from a different universe then yours." Emily suddenly said, her quiet voice cutting through the uneasy silence that had been building between the SeeDs and the soldier. "Your commanding officer and ours don't exactly get along in ours. Apparently not in yours, either."

Everyone stared at Emily, especially Squall, who had turned around to look at her with wide eyes.

Emily stared back, frowning. "They were going to find out sooner or later..." She muttered, crossing her arms gruffly.

Seifer turned back to Squall, seeming to appraise him differently. "So, that's why you're here. You're not aliens."

Squall looked back to Seifer. "What made you think we were aliens?!"

Seifer shrugged. "Well, you came through the Stargate, I thought you guys were either aliens or human/alien hybrids."

Squall cocked his head to the side. "Stargate? Oh, you mean the Arch…"

Seifer shrugged. "The name's got to do with a TV show that's airing currently. It's what the soldiers call it, anyways." He sighed. "Well, I don't really care where the hell you're from. All I care about is wether or not you are any threat."

Squall's face curled into a snarl. "We are not…but another group from a different universe is after ours. And we must stop that at all costs."

Seifer shook his head, fed up with the lies this person was feeding him, and slammed his fist into the table, making the little ice statue tremble with the strength of the attack. "Alright. No more bullshit. I want the truth – the entire truth – right now." He growled.

Squall looked down at the man, clad in black, his blond hair cut almost identical to his Seifer's', the scar seeming to become redder as it usually did when Seifer frowned in that angry kinda way – the way that it did when he was about to hurt someone. But Squall was used to the look – and at times had mimicked it perfectly. "Very well. I will tell you the truth, and give you proof to back it up. But – as soon as you are done with us I must demand that we are given safe passage from here and allowed open access to your world."

Seifer's angry frown turned into a smirk as he crossed his arms. "and just why should I allow you to walk about Earth freely?"

"Because…" Squall muttered, walking over to Julius and grabbing his laptop. "We might be your world's last hope."

*          *            *

Seifer sat, silently, as Squall and the rest told him of their amazing journey through the last four universes, starting from their tests at Galbadia Garden, to the attack by the Hearts in Te'Get, to the spectacular escape from Crisp, to the introduction of the Immortals, before finally winding up at Earth. As he spoke, the other SeeDs interrupted Squall with small bits and pieces of information from the worlds that they had encountered – mannerisms of the people, cultural differences, accents – and Squall showed the Major the pictures and recordings of the Arch activations and deactivations, as well as the recordings of the different race's talking habits – recorded in secret by Julius – and their varying technological advancements.

Seifer and the two soldiers who had sat with him took all this in, Seifer seeming to have a thoughtful look on his face as the SeeDs spoke. Finally, Squall finished and closed the laptop with a snap before tossing it into Julius' lap. "Well, that's about it. Are you satisfied?"

All the SeeDs watched Seifer carefully, watching him as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, watched him as he seemed to chew the inside of his cheek in thought – before looking up. "Its an…interesting story. I could write it down, sell it as a novel and retire with more lettuce then Bill Gates."

"Who?"

"He's this geek who…never mind. Like I said, it's an interesting story, but there are a few holes here and there. I suppose my most important one is: How do you know that this…Queen Sorceress is actually a threat? Maybe she was simply trying to contact you when your Recon team went through the Stargate…sorry, _Tidus_…and there was a misunderstanding much like what we had here."

Seifer looked from Squall to Rinoa to Squall again. Squall seemed to be thinking about it – before Rinoa spoke. "No. We've been attacked many times by the Hearts without provocation. If they had really wanted to contact us, I'm pretty sure they would have at least tried to talk to us. Not only that…but we have suspicions that our universe has been infiltrated by spies. Spies who look, act and react like our friends or family – but who aren't."

Seifer blinked, before nodding to her with a smile, humouring the beauty. "Okaaay, fine…how about question number two: Who knows what might be in these universes? You guys have been breathing in foreign air, touching foreign surfaces, hell, you've had _wounds_ come in contact with elements you've never seen before. Who knows what the hell you might have gotten from any one of these planets?"

Julius shook his head. "First off, I've kept a constant eye on elemental properties every time we've stepped out of the Arches into a new universe. Every time the air has been breathable and didn't seem filled with anything harmful to us. Second of all, if we _did _have something wrong with us, I'm pretty sure the Immortals would have fixed it."

Veronica nodded. "That's right. I've been _dead_ for almost half a _decade_, and they brought me back to life. You can't say that we have anything harmful."

Seifer looked at Veronica with something that resembled mute surprise – before shaking his head and looking at Squall once more. "Okay. At least that's been cleared."

Nobody saw the look Rinoa and Emily swapped.

Seifer kept talking. "Not that it really mattered anyways. The entire facility went into lock-down as soon as you stepped into the Storage Room. We've all been quarantined as of…" He looked down, checking his watch strapped to his wrist. "Three hours ago…damn, has it been three hours already?!"

Zone blinked, suddenly looking at his superior officer. "What?! When did that…"

Seifer rolled his eyes, not bothering to look at the Sergent. "Zone, you know procedure…the Area becomes locked down until the possible threat of an extraterrestrial phenomenon."

"Yeah, but…"

Seifer turned his head to look at Zone. "But what, Sergent? You wanna call yer boyfriend? Well stiff, we can't contact anybody until the brass orders otherwise. So put up with it."

Zone sat back in his chair with a look of displease. "First night in weeks I have the night off and these guys have to show…" He muttered to himself as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"So, when will your…'Brass'…contact you?" Squall muttered, the information coming to him with little surprise. In the same situation, SeeD would have done the exact same thing.

"As a matter of fact, they should be contacting me any time now…"

Seifer suddenly jumped in his chair, blinking and reaching into his pocket to pull out what looked like a small phone. The phone was vibrating, and as he pressed a button to activate it, he surreptitiously switched the microphone off for the SeeD Walkie Talkie. "Olleh…Ris. Sey Ris, Er'ew gnitaitogen htiw meht won. On Ris, er'yeht ton sneila. On Ris…I t'nod kniht yeht esop a taerht ot Htrae."

He paused for a second, seeming to listen to the orders being given. "Yrev llew Ris, Ll'I teem uoy ta eht ecnartne fo eht esab ni…net setunim."

Seifer snapped the mobile phone shut and switched his mic back on. "Sorry about that…my superiors seem to be feeling a bit paranoid now that we've had contact from someone…outside of our world. They seem to think it's better that you don't know anything about our world until they're sure that you pose no threat."

Squall sighed audibly and crossed his arms, tired of this world's hesitance about _everything_. _They're so paranoid…_ He thought to himself as he put Zone in charge before leaving the room.

*          *            *

Seifer understood where Zone was coming from. The first leave that _anyone_ had had, almost since Roswell, and now this happens. "Well, at least I know that my tax dollars are going to good use…" He muttered to himself as he walked through the drab grey corridors of the facility – before shaking his head, disgusted with his own thought. "What the fuck am I saying?"

After what seemed like countless corridors and identical hallways, Seifer finally found what he was looking for – the officer's ready-room, the place where all the admiral and generals and majors and whoever else who was higher then 'Sergent' was allowed to go in the event of a crisis or to be debriefed on a situation.

He looked down at his attire. He was still dressed in his usual soldier's fatigues, the ninja-like garb making him seem like some kind of assassin more then an American soldier. The only thing that signified the difference was the stars 'n stripes flag embossed on his right shoulder – and half the time he wore the uniform he had it covered, in case someone spotted it during one of the…more unofficial missions his men were used to.

He decided that nobody would give a rat's ear about his uniform and pressed his palm against the small, hand-shaped panel on the side of the door, the panel flashing with a beep, signifying the door unlocking.

He opened the door and walked into the room to be appraised by three men, each one with their own emotion.

The Secretary General. A pudgy looking man, with a face that could make a stone statue curl its face in disgust. He was almost quivering in his seat, the pale complexion and sweat dripping down his face signifying it all – nothing but a politician. Seifer ignored the poor excuse of a man.

Seifer's commander, General Raijin, was a real soldier. Dressed in his dark green formal suit as usual, with the fours shining sliver stars on his broad shoulders, Raijin looked almost like a child stuffed into a suit that was three sizes too small. Seifer liked Raijin. He didn't take crap from anybody, he demanded respect from his boys, and he wasn't such a tight-ass about it like some of the other commanders Seifer had run under. Seifer saluted promptly to the General and stood to attention, Raijin returning the salute with a distracted air. He looked slightly worried – but not over-the-top like the Secretary.

The third man Seifer didn't know much about – which worried Seifer slightly. The man had wavy brown hair and was always dressed in a pitch-black suit with an eye-hurting white shirt-n-tie combo underneath the suit's coat. His handsome face was fixed with a cool demeanour, as if he had expected these people to come waltzing through the Stargate today. All Seifer knew was that his name was Mr. Wedge – that's it.

Seifer stood at attention before the men. They all sat at a giant round table, like some kind of Arthurian knight-of-the-round. Numerous seats surrounded the table, and a pitcher of water sat in the middle, if anybody was brave enough to reach for it. Using this room usually meant that the shit was going down – and you didn't want to draw attention to yourself by quenching your thirst when people look for scapegoats. You leave yourself wide open. Manila folders with CLASSIFIED embossed on the covers sat at every seat, as if there were more people expected. Seifer never saw the person who laid out the folders in his entire career, and had to stifle a smile as he envisioned some lowly private, thinking he was the big-shit being stationed at Area 51, having to print and lay out de-briefing info.

Area 51 was so overrated.

"Be seated, Major." Raijin muttered in his deep, booming voice, his left hand gesturing to the seat across from the table as his right closed the manila folder before him.

Seifer nodded and took a seat obediently, sinking into the plush leather and making a mental note to steal one of the chairs when he got the chance.

Biggs shifted in his chair slightly, his face twisted in the way it usually did before he spoke, choosing his words carefully. "Major, this development has, obviously, come as a shock to all of us. We'd like to hear your opinion on the situation, as well as any personal thoughts you'd like to share, being the only person to have actually conversed with the beings in the first place."

Seifer nodded curtly. "Yes, sir." He looked over the trio of men as he spoke, his words crisp and clear. "At exactly 1326 this afternoon the security keeping tabs on the Ancient's store-room contacted me and told me that something weird was happening to the Star…excuse me, Arch. Sever fluxuations of the magnetic, radiation and every other measuring device implanted in the room was beginning to go through the roof, and there was an obvious reaction happening to the Arch itself."

"As we are trained, I quickly assessed the situation and told my men to gear up. They were ready within three minutes, as trained, and we were ready to infiltrate the room in order to survey any damage or change within two minutes. After conversing with the recon units and giving express orders to hold fire unless forced, we entered and began to sweep the room."

"Almost immediately there were signs of intelligent life within the room. Our cameras picked up two of them trying to open the doors, and the initial entities to enter the room swept it for people with military precision. There were also signs of paranormal activity too – the beings were able to cast small fireballs around the room as a light source, as well as make protective shields around themselves to stop our bullets."

"Yes…what did happen in there?" Raijin interrupted, leaning back in his chair.

Seifer tried not to grimace, keeping his scarred face as stoic as ever. "At precisely 1340 my soldiers had made contact and flanked the beings into a corner of the room, and requested light fro upstairs to get a better look. It seemed that, as the floods came on, it startled one of them, who attacked our men."

"Any casualties?"

"No General – only a few broken bones and hurt pride."

General Raijin seemed to bite his bottom lip in thought – before gesturing with his hand for Seifer to continue.

"After the initial attack my soldiers opened fire, to no effect. The beings were simply too fast for our bullets, and when the shields came up, well, there was no point."

The little Secretary spoke up, his voice surprisingly calm. "And that's when you…made contact?"

Seifer shot a glance at him, before looking back at Raijin. "Correct, sir. After a bit of linguistic difficulties were we able to communicate using a piece of their hardware."

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the ear-wig and tossed it into the middle of the table, the plastic device making a small clack as it bounced over to Raijin, who caught it in one hand and lifted it to inspect it a little better. "A hearing device…" Raijin muttered.

"Yes. I speak to them through this wristlet, and they're able to translate it using some kind of program in a laptop-device they have."

Raijin looked it over a little more, grunting in interest as he saw the SeeD insignia etched into the back, before placing it onto the table again. Mr. Wedge, who had been silent so far, reached over and grabbed the ear-wig, inspecting it himself. General Raijin continued. "So, what have you found out, now you've talked to them. You said they're not extraterrestrials…so what are they?"

Seifer sighed. "Well, sir…it's hard to explain…"

"Do your best." Wedge suddenly said, his voice deep and throaty, like he had smoked since he was still a baby. 

The tone made Seifer's blood boil – but he indulged the man in black. "After speaking with their leader, Squall, it was made evident that they are not alien, at least, not in the usual sense. The appear human in every aspect, and I'm pretty sure that, given x-rays and ultrasounds, we'd see the same physical make-up which makes a human."

Raijin watched as Seifer's voice trailed off, and smiled. "Do feel a but coming on, Major?"

Seifer sighed. "…But they've done things no human could ever do. One of the woman, a scrawny little thing, drove three of my men through sheer concrete and metal like it was pastry. And…the leader made me this." He reached into a pocket and pulled out the little ice figurine of a person leaning back in his chair and slid it over to the General, who accepted it with obvious surprise on his face.

"Is this ice?" The General asked, his voice amazed as he picked the item up and turned it around in his hands, feeling the smooth slick coldness of the statue. "It's a good likeness."

Seifer smiled. "Thank you sir. The leader says he created it using magic. Elemental magic."

The fat Secretary snorted. "You make them sound like some kind of fantasy characters…next you'll be telling us they can summon monsters…"

Seifer simply stared at him, not bothering to say the words.

The Secretary slowly realised the look that the scary military man gave him and sat back in his seat, blowing his breath out of his lungs in one long, lengthy blow.

"So, are they friends or foes?" Raijin said, placing the statue down and looking at Seifer.

"They say that they don't wanna keep us, they just wanna find their next Arch and move on."

"You mean find another Arch like the one we have here in the outside world?" Mr. Wedge suddenly said in his throaty voice, still turning the ear-wig in his hands over and over in thought. "That is the only device in the entire world. That's why we have it."

Seifer frowned. "Excuse me, sir? How do you know that?"

Wedge looked at Seifer contemptuously and smiled. "It'd classified."

Seifer rolled his eyes. "Jeez, we're in Area 51, what's not classified?"

"What can we do with them?" Raijin asked. "Do they wish to trade?"

"I think it's safe to assume that anything they have is way more advanced then anything we've got, and that they're intelligent enough to know that they would not profit from any trade, sir." Seifer said succinctly.

Raijin leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Well, we can't just let them run loose in the world…and we can't have them just sit there."

Wedge smiled a crooked smile. "We could always…study them."

Raijin looked at Wedge with a look that could make God himself tremble. "They ripped my men apart in the blink of an eye, and you want to cut them open?"

"Your men were unprepared and incompetent. I already have a fully equipped team en-route…"

"You stop right there. Nobody's going to cut anyone open." The Secretary muttered. "Who gave you authority on this kind of procedure anyways?"

Wedge smiled his lop-sided grin again. "Classified." He said simply.

Seifer simply sat in silence. The men and women he had talked to hadn't seemed to be threatening in any way, and yet these men were already discussing the possibility of dissecting them like insects and stealing their technology. There was only one word for that – murder. He looked at Wedge, sitting smugly in his black suit, and tried to think of just where he came from. Even General Raijin was hesitant about speaking to him, and the throaty stranger hadn't batted an eyelid when Seifer had debriefed them on what had happened. Seifer narrowed his eyes, remembering something the prettiest one out of the girls, Rinoa, had told him. _"There might be a possibility that our own universe may have been infiltrated by spies, spies who looked, acted and reacted much like our friends or family."_

It suddenly occurred to Seifer that the Arch and all the stuff in the Ancient's store room had been moved into that area around the same time as Squall had said the primary Arch in his universe had been found – about three months ago. Not only that, but the room had been under constant, round-the-clock supervision the entire time.

Strange for a room full of rocks.

Not only that, but the only person who had been assigned to the supervision had been a new recruit who had showed around the same time as the artefacts. Biggs had been assigned only days ago – the new guy had gotten ill after eating one of the cafeteria's chilli-dogs.

Everything fit into place too snugly for Seifer to think it was all a mere coincidence.

They had plants within Area 51. Plants from the Heart Army.

*          *            *

Seifer had no idea how he knew, but as he looked up his eyes latched onto Wedge's – and the man in black's face seemed to go from a smug affirmation to a deadly stare, almost as if the man read his mind.

Seifer rose from the table slowly, breaking the stare between him and Wedge with slight difficulty, turning to Raijin. "Sir, if it's alright with you, I'd better get back to them. There's still a lot to get out of them."

Raijin nodded. "Of course, Major. You have my permission. We'll remain here and decide the beings' fate."

Seifer knew the look on the General's face, however. _Defeat_. The Secretary would never allow the SeeDs to walk on American soil, and the impersonator Wedge would almost undoubtedly kill the SeeDs the first change he got. The General outnumbered two-to-one – and he knew it.

Seifer turned to Wedge and held his hand out. "The device, please."

Wedge, still staring at the Major, almost snarled as he spoke. "I'd rather hold onto it."

"If I return without the ear-wig, they'll know something's going wrong. You'll get it back – don't worry."

Seifer smiled with the last words spoken, like he was telling a child that his favourite toy would be returned after he'd eaten his dinner. It obviously infuriated the stoic Wedge, who thrust the ear-wig into Seifer's waiting palm and looked away, barely containing his anger.

Seifer saluted to the General, before turning and exiting the ready-room, closing the door softly behind him – before bolting down the corridor, running as fast as he could.

He needed to get the SeeDs out. Their lives were in danger.

*          *            *

Zone had run out questions to ask of their home-universe, so he had begun to answer some of their questions, answering them to the best of his abilities. Soon all pretence of classifications became null and void as he described his home ranch in Texas to the one with golden blond hair and her cold, pale girlfriend, both listening intently as he told them about the horses he had brushed every morning.

Trish was having a ball. Not only was this man cute, but he was also a very good storyteller. She gripped Emily's hand tightly and squealed in delight as Zone talked about his first driving lesson, describing in detail the carnage that ensued including three smashed mailboxes, two crushed parking meters, and to make a grand finale, slingshot the car rear first into his local girl's locker-rooms at the school where he was driving. "Suffice to say, they didn't let me drive again until I enlisted!" Zone guffawed, cracking up along with Trish and Veronica, who had been listening intently beside Julius.

Julius hadn't been listening to the story. His sight was focused entirely on his laptop screen, his finger typing furiously as he worked on something that he wouldn't show anybody, screens, gauges and pictures popping up and away as his fingers flashed over the keyboard, programming and working out equations at the same time.

Rinoa and Squall were chuckling along with the others when there was a shrill beep emitted from Julius' computer, and he jumped up onto his feet, pumping his fists into the air. "Yes!! I am a golden god!"

The SeeDs and the USMC soldiers frowned at Julius as he suddenly looked down at them and sheepishly sat back down. "What is it?" Veronica asked, looking over Julius' shoulder and at the screen.

"I've been compiling all the paramagical data on the Tidus' since we entered the first one back on Gaia, and I found an anomaly."

"What kind of anomaly?" Squall asked, getting up and moving over to Julius to look down at the screen.

"Well, I've been recording the passages to the alternate universes the entire time, right, each time we've moved through an Arch. Once from Gaia to Te'Get, from Te'Get to Crisp, then from the Immortal world to Earth. I missed the one from Crisp to the Immortal World cause…we were all so fucked up then."

"Yeah, and?" Trish asked.

"Well, that means I _should _have the addresses of only three universes, given that I missed the one to the Immortals. But, when I was checking the databases in my laptop, the results came back with _four_ addresses."

Squall frowned. "Wait a minute. _Four_. What does it mean?"

"It means that I was able to record the address that Azel came through when he confronted us. I had set the program up and everything, Rinoa simply hadn't had the time to cast her portal magic's to open the Arch, so the computer recorded the address anyways."

Squall narrowed his eyes, a small smile slowly spreading on his lips. "This is it. This is the break we've been waiting for." He looked over at Zone. "We need to leave. Now."

*          *            *  
Zone blinked, not comprehending a word that the blond man had said about his Arches and his universal addresses – before the door to the rec-room busted open, revealing a very agitated-looking Seifer. Zone stood instantly, saluting his superior before moving forward. "Sir, they say they wanna leave now! What do we do…"

His voice was cut off suddenly as he stared down the barrel of Seifer's Sig-Saucer, the handgun slipping out of Seifer's hip-holster and jammed into Zone's face quicker then anything that Zeon had seen. "I'm sorry, Zone, but I can't trust _anybody_ right now." He muttered, pushing Zeon back and pressing his head against the wall with his gun. He shot a look to the other two soldiers, each one looking more shocked then anything else. "You two, drop yer guns and lie down flat on the floor, _now._"

Squall watched Seifer order Zone to the ground in his strange language, before linking his comrade's hands and feet together with wire from the soldier's webbing. Tightly bound and out o the picture for now, Seifer walked over to Squall, speaking quickly. "No emoc, ew t'nod evah emit ot etsaw!!" He said in English urgently.

Squall frowned and shook his head before gesturing to his wristlet and his ear-wig.

Seifer slammed his palm into his face before pulling his ear-piece out of his pocket and jammed it into his ear, flicking his wrist-mic on too. "We've got to get going, we gotta get you through the Arch and outta here!!"

"Why?" Squall muttered, not having to say the word as the rest of the SeeDs began to gather their things and prepared to move out.

"Lets just say I've got a hunch that you're not the only ones with Heart problems."

*          *            *

The SeeDs and Seifer moved through the corridors of Area 51 quickly and methodically, the SeeDs doing a basic facility-sweep as they did like they were trained, Seifer impressed by the almost surgical precision of their manoeuvres as they swept through the facility.

Any military or personnel found along the way were instantly dealt with, either frozen to the spot or knocked unconscious, Seifer stating to Squall that he didn't want anybody killed. Seifer still wanted his job after the SeeDs were gone – although how he was going to explain it to General Raijin was beginning to bug him a little.

He looked back at the SeeDs as they ran, calling over his shoulder as he led the way. "Hey, any of you have any kind of mind manipulation powers?"

"I do." Emily muttered.

Seifer smiled and nodded. "Goody."

*          *            *

Seifer was beginning to get anxious as they were nearing the entrance to the storage room. Wedge had had enough time to try something in the time it had taken for Seifer to run to the rec-room, tie up Zone and the others, and run to the Ancient's Store. What he would do, however, Seifer couldn't think of.

"It's just around this corner –" Seifer shouted, skidding around the corner – to be blasted off his feet by a powerful Fira, the flames blowing straight through him and making his back explode all over the grey walls bloodily.

"No!!" Rinoa cried, running over to him and crouching beside him as the others all turned the corner – 

To see Wedge stand just before the entrance of the store room, blocking the doors with his body. He floated just a few feet off the ground, his eyes glowing a bright blue as he looked over the SeeDs and smirked smugly. "I'm afraid you cannot leave yet."

*          *            *

Squall snarled, ripping his LionHeart from his belt and activating it in a heartbeat, running forward – to be pushed back violently by a pulse of Blue energy, the pulse blowing Squall right off his feet to skid past the other SeeDs and slam into the wall next to Seifer.

Julius and Veronica began to advance – before someone stepped in front of them.

"Stay back." Emily muttered, watching Wedge closely. "He's using Blue magic. You wont be able to defeat him without Blue defences."

"She's right." Squall muttered, regaining his footing and picking up his gunblade from where he'd dropped it. "We're going to have to play smart with this one."

Wedge watched them, his smug smile not wavering one inch as the SeeDs seemed to huddle, whispering amongst themselves in a short brainstorm session.

The Heart warrior rolled his eyes and drew his hands back, the palms filling with blue energy as he spoke. "you'll have to do better then be smart, SeeDs!!" He cried, flinging the blue energy at the huddle.

The SeeDs broke apart almost instantly, bodies flying everywhere as the Blue energy-blast slashed through where they'd been just moments ago – to be arrested by Rinoa, one hand up and holding the magic back with her psychic powers whilst her other waved over Seifer's chest slowly, the Full Life ebbing into him at only half the power now. "I wont be able to hold this for long, guys!" Rinoa cried. "Hurry up and do something!!"

Squall watched Emily and Trish nod – before Emily picked herself up from where she threw herself and blast forward, her eyes flashing blue as she barrelled head-on towards Wedge. Trish quickly ran to Squall and grabbed his hand – before simply disappeared in a flash of smoke, teleporting somewhere out of sight.

Emily rocketed forward, her feet barely even touching the floor as she screamed down the corridor – to hammer into Wedge's Blue Barrier, her hands pushing into the bubble of Blue paramagic, static sparks slashing out as she began to push into it, groaning with the effort.

"Stupid woman!!" Wedge yelled, throwing his hand out – to cast a Blizaga, the shards of ice slashing through the air – to slam into Emily's body, several of them jutting straight through the Goth's chest and stomach, making her vomit blood over the Barrier, the invisible wall becoming splattered in blood.

Emily continued to push against the wall, however, gritting her bloody teeth as the shards of ice were pushed out of her torso by an unseen force, her eyes beginning to blaze a vivid Blue as she began to use several at once – one to give her strength, another to Dispel the Barrier, and another to Regen her wounded body.

Wedge shook his head, smiling broadly as he watched Emily fight against the Barrier with all her might. "Why fight it, Emily? Just give up. Two of your comrades have already abandoned you. What makes you think only you can make a difference?"

Something suddenly snapped within Emily's mind, her eyes _smoking_ with blue energy as she pushed against the Barrier – and, mustering all her energy, let loose her Limit Break.

Her palms held flat against the Barrier, the paramagical wall shrieking and flashing, Emily slammed her feet into the ground in a runner's positions, one foot bent forward as a spring whilst the other stood slightly bent for balance and extra push. "_Ready!"_

Looking up, her eyes still smoking the blue energy that boiled within her brain, she made her body as streamline as possible, sliding her hands down the sparking Barrier so that they were level with her shoulders. "_Set!"_

Suddenly the ground around her blasted out, gigantic craters appearing in the walls surrounding her as he energy levels peaked, the concrete shattering along with the ground beneath her feet as she muttered the final word. "_Go!!"_

It was like someone was _pushing the world backward_, Emily's feet digging into the ground as her body suddenly burst into fiery blue flame, the Barrier created by Wedge being _literally pushed back_, Wedge having to float along with it – to slam his back into the giant metal doors, his body beginning to be crushed as he tried desperately to stop his own magic shield from squashing him.

Gritting his teeth, Wedge threw his hands out, the Aero blowing from his hands and at Emily, who was digging a trench in the concrete as her Limit Break was stopped by Wedge's Barrier, Emily simply pushing into dead weight now as the Aero blew against her – to finally blew her back, the blue flame surrounding her body dissipating as her hands left the Barrier's flashing wall, her body flailing through the strong winds towards Rinoa.

_"Squall!! Now!!"_ Emily screamed into her wrist-mic – before her body slammed into the Blue energy blast that Rinoa had arrested in mid air, the explosion rocking the facility and causing the lights in the corridors to flicker on and off.

Wedge frowned as Emily's screamed words reached his ears – before his eyes widened in realisation.

Suddenly, without any warning, the upper half of a shimmering blue blade slashed _through_ the metal of the storerooms doors, slashing through Wedge's body as it was pressed against the steel. There were four slashes in all, each one executed a nano-second after the other – before Wedge's body simply fell apart in a spraying bloody mess, flailing limbs and guts falling to the floor in front of the door, Wedge's horrified expression etched onto his face.

The doors of the storeroom opened slowly, revealing Squall and Trish. Trish had teleported the two of them _into the storeroom,_ before Squall had cut _straight through the door_, killing Wedge instantly.

Squall and Trish ran forward into the smoke – to find Julius and Veronica kneeling over Emily, her robes burnt almost black by the explosion – but her body no worse for wear. The SeeDs watched as the burns on her back and arms healed slowly – before she opened her eyes. "did you get him?" She asked Squall instantly.

"Yes. That was a good plan." Squall said, offering her a hand up.

Emily waved the hand away and stood under her own strength. "Whatever…" She muttered, watching Rinoa move in through the dust kicked up by the massive energy fluxes created by them all just moments ago.

"Sefier'll be fine, but he told us to go on ahead without him. He said there'd be more coming soon."

"Then we'd better get moving." Squall muttered, gesturing for all of them to run into the storeroom.

*          *            *

As Rinoa ran to the Arch she pulled Veronica to the side. "Get Julius and find that tablet that I felt earlier. I want you two to get pictures of it."

Veronica nodded and grabbed Julius as Rinoa's wings blew out of her back and she began to cast the magic's that Julius had told her to cast.

Julius wanted to record the entrance into the Heart World – but was pulled along meekly as Veronica looked through the various tablets that were all piled along the walls. "Dammit, where is it?!" Veronica cursed, urgently trying to find the tablet as Rinoa finally cast the magic's needed, the Arch exploding into life as the portal was activated.

She began to shift through them all, running up to the closest one and examining it like she had done with Rinoa before realising it was the wrong one, and running to the next, cursing more and more as she began to run out of time and tablets.

_Any time now, honey…_ Veronica heard Rinoa pulse out – before finally finding the right tablet.

"Here! Here!" Veronica shouted excitedly, grabbing Julius and thrusting him forward. "We need a photo of this tablet! Make sure you can read it!"

"'Kay babe." Julius muttered, flipping his laptop open and aiming the camera at the tablet. Three quick flashes later, he slapped it closed and grabbed Veronica's hand, pulling her away as he slipped the laptop into his pack with practise. "Done, gotta go!!"

*          *            *

General Raijin stepped into the room with Zone, the Sergent now armed with his P-90 and sweeping the gun across the floor methodically.

Both men could see the waving blue light from the Arch, and as they bran for it another person emerged from the smoking doors – Seifer, minus the front and back of his fatigues, but alive none-the-less.

All three men ran to the Arch to watch the last of the SeeDs disappear into the rippling blue mass – and watch as an angel, her smoking white eyes turning to latch onto them, blew them a kiss. _It's been fun…_ a tinkling voice, more beautiful then anything they had ever heard, entered their minds – before Rinoa dashed into the Arch, disappearing into the portal with almost no resistance.

The three Earthlings seemed dumbfounded, unable to speak – before Seifer ran forward, dashing toward the Arch and leaping – into the wall as the portal disintegrated, Seifer slamming into the wall and sliding down with little grace.

Picking himself up and dusting himself off, Seifer watched as Zone and Raijin walked up to him. "Not alien, hmmm?" Raijin muttered with a smile. "Well, I guess you were right about that…"

*          *            *

Rinoa bundled out of the Arch, the portal closing behind her as her wings retracted into her back, and looked up – to see her friends standing stock still, seemingly unable to move. "Hey guys, what's wrong?" She asked – before seeing them.

About twenty Heart Warriors, all clad in the shining Orihalcon armour, surrounded them all, some holding weapons, others with their hand filled with some kind of elemental force.

_Ah shit…_Rinoa thought to herself.

One of the Warriors walked forward slowly, pressing a button on the side of his helmet. The shining metal retracted into his neck, surrounding the throat like a cravat – to reveal Seifer's scarred face, his cold blue eyes locking onto Squall and Rinoa.

"It's the Queen and her Knight!" Seifer suddenly bellowed. "Destroy them!"

*          *            *

Well!! How will the SeeDs get outta this one? Wouldn't you like to know? Well, you're not going to know, at least not for the next few chapters!!

_Oh, and BTW – thanks for all the people who review my stuff!! Remember I do have other works out there, and it would be tremendous if you read them, FictionPress and FanFic both!_


	20. Is That You, Hyne?

Ch 20 – Is That You, Hyne?

Zell spoke in spluttered words, the blood flowing from his mouth running rivers down his chin and neck. "I'll…be back…just you…wait…"

Azel sighed. "No…not this time, my twin…"

Before Azel's flat hand slashed across, effectively cutting Zell's head off from the neck up.

*          *            *

It is said that, after the human head is cut off, it can survive on the oxygen supplied to the brain for up to thirty seconds.

_Zell found this out the hard way._

_His head flew from his shoulders like a bullet being launched from the barrel of a gun. Everything became topsy-turvy, the world spinning in tumbles, a myriad of colours – red, blue, green, brown, black – and the roar of the ocean in his ear._

_Zell didn't feel his head hit the ground, but he did notice when the world suddenly stopped and he was looking up at Rinoa. He had tried to speak, but he found that Azel had seemed to have crushed his larynx, making speech impossible. Besides – the fucker had seemed to have severed all his muscles on his neck too._

_The thought of decapitation hadn't even occurred to the brain of Zell Dincht as it slowly ran out of oxygen to live on, and as the edges of his vision slowly became darker, Zell wondered just how long it would take the others to put Azel down before they revived him…_

*          *            *

Zell woke with a start, sitting up in his chair. "Whoa!!" He cried – before rubbing his face with his hands, looking into his bare palms with shock. "That was a scary dream…"

"Yeah? Well, you'll have to tell me about it then."

"Maybe later, pal…" Zell replied to the stranger, turning - to gasp.

This wasn't the Immortal Ruins. This wasn't another alternate universe either. These were the Pearly Gates – the entrance to heaven. White, fluffy clouds covered the ground and flanked the Gates like walls, blocking what seemed like a radiant light that shone from behind the Gates. The sky was a radiant blue, the bluest a sky could ever look like. The cloudy walls leading up to the Gate were lined with strategically-put seats, and no matter how long Zell sat in one of the tiny, cushioned benches, it only became more comfortable the longer he sat in it.

When a person dies, they immediately awaken at the Gates, usually not knowing where they are. The first time Zell came to the Gates he had been met by a dude who looked a lot like his Grandpa and told to simply wait outside until he fell asleep again.

Another thing about when a person dies – all memories immediately come back to them. Zell's head swam like a bass as a flood of forgotten memories thanks to years and GF usage came flooding back – his first high-school sweetheart – the time he broke the world record for circumnavigating Gaia using My Final Heaven – the first time he had seen Angel – the second time he had seen Angel – Angel giving him the magazine in Balamb…

He suddenly wanted Angel to be with him so badly. He felt his love for her stab his heart painfully, so painfully it made him wince.

He looked around, seeing a lot more people hanging around the entrance of the Gates then usual. The last few times he had been here he had been the only one, with the odd person appearing and going straight through into Heaven – or, at least what he considered Heaven. What else could it be?

The person standing beside him was one that he hadn't seen before, old and wrinkled, unlike the usual dude who told him to keep put until someone revived him. The man was garbed in an old robe which smelled like musty mildew, and his hands held a gigantic book, huge and thick, the tome looking to weight a ton in the frail man's hands.

Zell felt his helpfulness kick in, and he stood. "Oh, I'm sorry, do you want this seat?" He asked. "Go ahead, you can take it, I'll probably be leaving in a few minutes anyways."

The old man smiled and sat down in Zell's chair. "Maybe not, son." He said gently, gesturing up to Zell's head.

Zell looked up hesitantly – to see a halo hovering just above the top of his head. He jumped a foot in the air in shock, starting with surprise. "But – but – that hasn't been there the other times!!" He cried.

The old man frowned. "You've been dead before, I take it?"

He hadn't wanted to hear the words, and had almost blocked them out as he slammed his fingers into his ears, but the words slipped into his ears before his fingers did. "I'm dead!!" Zell cried, sinking to his knees slowly in distraught, something more powerful then he had ever felt kicking him in the stomach. 

The halo said it all. 

He was _really _dead.

The old man looked down at the warrior with pity and patted him on the shoulder. "Come, come, it's not all bad. At least you don't need to go to the toilet anymore!"

Zell looked up at the old man as if he was crazy, the tears running down his cheeks.

The old man seemed to either not notice the look or ignore it as he opened the book he rested on his lap and began to turn the pages. "Okay, lets just get the formalities out of the way so we can get you in…name?"

Zell, composing himself, sniffed and stood weakly on trembling knees, looking down at the old man. "W-what happens if I don't wanna go in? W-what happens if I don't w-wanna give my name?" Zell asked quietly.

The old man looked up at Zell with a sigh, before pointing down at the ground with a finger.

A small hole opened up in the cloudy ground, revealing **WARNING! THIS DESCRIPTION HAS BEEN CENSORED TO SAVE YOUR SANITY! WARNING!** jumped back into the hole, the clouds covering the opening once more.

Zell blinked several times before his brain screamed at him. _JUST TELL THE OLD DUDE YOUR NAME FOR THE GODS SAKES!!_ "Z-Zell D-Dincht."

The old man flicked through his book until he came to the Zs. "You just had to be a 'Zell' didn't you?" The old man muttered, sounding somewhat peeved. "They're harder to sort then the 'Smiths'." He sighed, before looking up. "I'll have to know your birthplace."

"Uhhh…154 Choco Way, Balmab."

The old man searched the giant tome once more, flicking through the pages seemingly at random but with some plan of action.

As the old man searched diligently, Zell looked down at his body – to see that he was naked. He wasn't surprised. The first time he had been. The second time he had felt slightly weird about it. After the fourth time he had just grown to accept it. But this old guy looked like he knew what was happening around here, so there was no harm in asking. "Hey, old man…"

"You're not wearing clothes because you must present yourself to God without shame or discretion."

"Ah." Zell said, sighing and placing his hands in his hips. He looked down at his wrist, but realised that he didn't have a watch on, so he talked to the old man once more. "Hey old man, is this going to take any longer?"

The old man looked up at Zell with something that resembled annoyance on his elderly face. "I'm having trouble pinpointing the place where your soul is supposed to go – which has become a bit of a nuisance lately, but we're still able to find it. You'll just have to patient, that's all."

"Alright." Zell said meekly, leaving the old man to his own devices and walking away a little.

He walked up to the Gates, examining them for the…seventh time? He wasn't sure. They were tall, really tall, taller then even he could jump, and wide enough to let Eden in. The poles that the gate was made of was a pearly white – hence the name – and were thicker then a bottle of soda. Although the spaces were even, Zell could not see anything beyond the Gates – he could only see a bright light in a faraway distance.

He looked to his left to see another person standing beside him, this one also looking in. "Hey there." Zell said. "How are you?"

"I'm dead, obviously." The man muttered, pointing up at the halo above his head. "What's it look like?"

Zell smiled. "Well, it's not all that bad I suppose. Although I will miss my girlfriend and my mum and my friends and…Hyne, now I think about it, it kinda sucks, huh?" Zell said quietly, his smile drooping.

The man simply rested his head in his hand and looked at Zell. "You've just come to my level of realisation, pal."

"Mr. Dincht!" The old man suddenly called.

Zell looked back at the old guy, before waving. "See ya, dude."

"Yeah, whatever…" The man muttered back.

Zell walked back to the old man, kicking a few fluffy clouds up like dust as he went. "So, you figured it out yet old man?"

The old man seemed to be getting agitated. "My name is Peter, Mr. Dincht. In several worlds I am considered a Saint. Please refer to me by name, please."

Zell scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Aw, Hyne Pete, sorry, we didn't introduce ourself, huh?" He held out his hand. "Me handle's Zell. Nice to meet you Pete."

Saint Peter looked down at Zell's hand but didn't accept it. "If it's alright with you, Mr. Dincht, I'd rather skip the formalities and get you through the gates as soon as possible so I can keep the flow of souls going."

"Alrighty…Hyne, even in Heaven people don't shake my hand…" Zell muttered to himself as he sat down next to Saint Peter.

"Believe me, Mr. Dincht, if you're who I think you are – and considering you've been calling God Hyne ever since you awakened, I'm pretty sure it's you – you'll be getting a lot more then a handshake from the people within Heaven."

Zell grinned. "A celebrity even in Heaven. Sweet…"

Saint Peter simply shook his head and looking down at his tome once more, his finger at a certain place. "I seem to have found your soul's destination, Mr. Dincht – but according to my records, it's not where it was supposed to be when you finally pass on."

"Really? Well, where's that supposed to be?"

Peter began to speak – before stopping himself and looking at Zell. "I've fallen for that a few times, but not with you, Mr. Dincht."

"Drat…"

Peter chuckled as he continued. "No, your body was almost completely destroyed, thus making you valid for passing on within _your_ universe…but for some reason your soul continues to stay on the planet which you were on at the time."

"You mean the Immortal world?"

Saint Peter looked up at Zell with wide eyes – before seeming to deflate a little, his wither features seeming to sag with defeat. "Yes, that would explain it. I hate those Immortals. They can't seem to let go of life. They're worse at accepting death as your own universe! Don't you people know that when you die you're not supposed to come back?!"

Zell placed a hand on the old man's shoulder, his words soft. "Well, sometimes we die before our time, but still have things to do…"

"That's not the point! When the body is damaged enough to release the soul, then the soul must either ascend or descend, that's the way the universe works!"

Zell smiled at Saint Peter and shrugged. "Not my universe."

Peter looked at Zell for a second, seeming to reappraise the blond-haired warrior – before shaking his head with a soft smile. "You know, Mr. Dincht, I think I will be looking forward to seeing you meet God. I think he would regard you as…a breath of fresh air."

Zell frowned and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I suppose that's a compliment…I guess. Anyways, does this mean I get to go back to the Immortals now?"

Saint Peter shook his head again in exasperation and slammed his book of names shut, the pages slapping closed dustily. "Very well, if your soul cannot meet you here then I have no choice but to send your ethereal impression on the afterlife back down to the world that you inhabited before you died. But I must warn you – if you go down, and you are not revived, you will haunt the place of your death as a wandering spirit, unable to be revived ever again."

Zell nodded slowly and bit his bottom lip – before looking at Saint Peter. "I got a lot of unfinished business, Pete. A lot of people are depending on me and my friends. And I'll do whatever I can to finish my work – even if it means haunting the bastards until they're sick of me."

Saint Peter's smile grew larger as Zell's vision began to swim. "Yes…a breath of fresh air. I like your tattoo, by the way."

Zell frowned at the last comment – before the edges of his sight began to cave into themselves, the white clouds turning grey, then black, Peter seeming to shift and change as Zell's afterlife-imprint suddenly teetering between the world of the dead and the world of the living.

For a split second – a millisecond, a _nano_-second – the figure that stood before Zell, withered and aged, suddenly glowed with a bright light, six white-feathered wings flexing out from it's back as it looked on him with clear blue eyes and smiling a smile that seemed to light up it's surroundings…

…Before Zell was suddenly pulled roughly away from Heaven and tossed into the universal equation once more.

*          *            *

Feeling.

Zell had forgotten just how weird the feeling of a physical body was, the feelings that most people don't even feel in their everyday life.

The strain of lifting a hand.

The muscles of the face moving in unison to allow the eyelids to move, blink, stay shut.

The weight of his muscle as it seemed to crush down on his skeleton, his bones seeming to be buckling under the weight of skin, flesh and meat.

And then the feeling went away and he was wondering just where he was.

Blinking in the bright light, Zell squinted as he tried to sit up – but found himself too weak to even do that. It was like someone had severed every muscle from the neck down and left him for dead.

He vision swam with dizziness, and as he tried to sit up once more, his strength a flicker of what it once was, his mind took it's bearings from his immediate surroundings.

_Bed…smooth sheets, white. Frames…metal, shiny, cold. Room's…white. Light's brighter then usual._ He sighed and allowed his head to fall back onto his pillow graciously, the effort to keep it up any longer too much for him to bear. _The Immortal world. I'm…back._

*          *            *

In a small room just at the entrance of the Reborn facility a nurse manning the monitoring instruments regarding the Reborn frowned slightly as a small light blinked at the edge of her terminal. Pressing several buttons and switching on a viewing screen, the room containing Zell flashed on-screen, various displays suddenly flashing onto the screen, informing the nurse on the patient's condition.

The nurse noted the information on a clipboard, her writing tiny and neat as she scribbled down the data, keeping an eye on the figure tucked neatly into the hospital bed.

The figure didn't seem to move, and the data onscreen signified a slight change in mental health – nothing more.

The nurse lifted her hand to switch the screen off – before she looked a little closely at the screen…

To watch as the figure threw off his sheets lethargically and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, the various status measuring tabs popping off his body.

Blinking in surprise, the nurse immediately reached for the phone by the screen, typing in a number as the only male in the known world pushed himself to his feet and began to stumble towards the door.

*          *            *

As Zell moved along the corridor he felt his strength begin to return to him in boringly slow amounts before being eaten away by fatigue and pain, each step seeming to take more effort then it took to remain upright. He felt a distinct feeling of deja vu as he suddenly stumbled against the wall of the corridor, sliding into it before losing his balance, crashing to the floor painfully.

Gritting his teeth, he willed his arm to move, reaching up to grip the railing on the wall and using it to pull his body up slowly, using it to balance carefully as he positioned his trembling legs underneath him.

"Okay guys…" He found himself muttering to his limbs. "…right now…we aren't exactly getting…along very well. So…here's the plan." He began to pull himself across the railing, taking tiny steps each time, using his quivering arms to hold his body up as he forced his legs to remember to move. "We…get back on…good terms with…each other…and then I'll…get Angel to…massage each of you…twice…when we get back home. Sound good?"

His left leg suddenly creaked to the side erratically as his weight shifted dramatically, causing him to fall to the floor once more. He cried out in pain as his bashed his head into the railing that was supporting him and landed on his right leg in a wrong position, the newly repaired bone suddenly snapping with a brittle crack.

His bellow of agony seemed to echo all throughout the facility.

Sweating profusely and now bleeding from a cut to the forehead, Zell twisted his face into a grimace as he reached for the railing once more. "Fine…new plan." He muttered slowly, pulling himself painfully to his feet once more. "We get…to the holodeck…or I break the other leg. Got that?"

His body wobbled threateningly as he held onto the railing as hard as possible – but remained upright.

"Good choice."

*          *            *  
As Aries walked through the entrance of the Reborn facility the nurse ran up to her. "He's just gone from his room to the holodeck once more, ma'am. He's in there now, just sitting there, staring at a lake he created for himself."

"How's his condition?" Aries asked, walking briskly past the nurse, the woman having to walk alongside her to continue talking. The nurse suddenly became aware of the second woman walking beside Aries – but concentrated on the Grand Mistress instead.

"His vital signs are almost off the charts – heart beat's erratic, his brainwaves aren't reading properly – and physically he shouldn't be up and moving. The muscles and tendons haven't fused properly yet, and it's likely they're only holding to the bone by a few strands. Not only that, but his bone structure hasn't completely solidified yet. He broke his left leg trying to stand from a fall, and his left arm popped out of socket as he tried to open the holodeck's door. He's a wreck."

"Anything else?"

"No ma'am…he's just staring at the water."

Aries bit her bottom lip as she reached the elevator, pressing the button for the Recovery floor before looking up at the nurse. "Sent a stretcher and a medical team to the holodeck in a few minutes. I have to talk to him first." He said as the elevator doors shut slowly, blocking out Aries and the mystery woman as the door shut with a click.

*          *            *

Zell's mind was fogged by fatigue and pain, his body seeming to not want to move even to allow himself to breath. It had become dark as he finally reached the stone steps of the Tomb, falling to the stones weakly, unable to continue walking any further, and through use of sheer will, pulled himself up onto the stone rocks on which he had sat before, when he had talked to Aries, and stared down at the tiny stream bubbling past him.

He felt like he should have been remembering something, something important, something vital that he was doing – but he couldn't think straight, couldn't push past the mist in his memory, couldn't take his mind off the pain.

To tell the truth, he didn't know why he left his hospital bed, didn't know why he felt this sudden urge to move. Nothing seemed clear, nothing made sense. 

The truth was, he didn't feel like lying in bed. He didn't want to lie about waiting to heal. His mind, confused as it was, was subconsciously pushing his body to complete his mission – _kill Azel and defeat the Sorceress._

For now, however, he simply sat and looked down at his reflection, allowing the pain of his body to surround him like a warm blanket. He felt the cold wind on his naked body, felt the hardness of the stone on which he sat, and for a second, his mind let go of all probability and transported him back to Galbadia, back to Gaia, back home.

He could hear the roar of the ocean below, just over the cliff-edge, and could also hear the flow of spring-water coming from the Tomb Of The Unknown King, the sounds of the trickling water and the mighty crash of the waves smoothing out the edges of his mind. He looked down to see his reflection once more, and smiled.

_That's the face I know. That's the person I am._ He thought to himself as he raised a weak hand to feebly scratch over the stubble of his left cheek, his fingers tracing the black tattoo on his face as if it had never left.

He looked up suddenly as a sound jarred him from his thoughts, and gasped – to see Angel.

He could not move, could not speak – he could only sit and stare, bewildered by the appearance of his love. She was dressed in what looked like a flowing white gown, the moonlight seeming to illuminate her body as she stepped through the moss-covered rocks towards him, glowing like a ghost. Her hair was blond for some reason, but was in it's usual little pony-tail, which flapped in the wind erratically, and as she reached him he felt the overwhelming urge to stand and embrace her, pull her into his arms and say that he would never let go.

But all he could do was croak in exhaustion as she knelt down next to him and looked up at him with shatteringly blue eyes, the most light blue Zell had ever seen.

His fatigued mind suddenly clicked the pieces into place, and as the storm-clouds grew in the sky above them and the wind began to grow in power, he felt his tongue suddenly resurrect itself. "You…you're not…Angel…" Zell whispered, his words almost drowned out as the rain began to fall, lightly at first but growing in tempo, soon slashed down around them with a fury.

"No." The woman replied, reaching out and grasping his hand gently. "I'm not."

Zell looked up once more to see Aries walk out from behind a giant statue of a knight holding a sword, the knight's head seemingly disappeared somewhere. "You still amaze me, Zell." She called, her long locks of blond hair whipping around her face in the wind and rain, her words sad as they reached his ears. "When we brought you in your were nothing, not even a shadow of your former self. And to begin with, we weren't even sure we could revive you."

Zell blinked hard, ignoring the rain dripping off his face and focusing instead on the Immortal approaching him. "What…what do you…mean? What…happened to me?"

"When we left you we came back here immediately, but kept tabs on you via satellite feed." Aries said, walking up to the warrior and the woman and placing a hand on the woman's shoulder, squeezing it through the soaking silk. "We witnessed everything that took place at the Ruin, including your entrance into the Arch-Room, the fight with the Heart warrior – and your death."

Zell blinked at the mention of his death – but listened on.

"You were utterly defeated, Zell. Everything you threw at this man was no good. It looked like you were fighting a demon, a person not of the physical world. I've got to tell you – I've never seen anything quite like it." Aries sighed, looking down at the stone floor – before looking up into Zell's eyes. "Then I watched as he cut your head off your shoulders and destroyed your body with nothing more then a wave of his hand."

The news blew the breath out of Zell, his body expelling his wind half out of fatigue and half out of incomprehension, and the Angel impersonator tightened her grip on his hand as his face caved into a grimace. "You've…got to be…kidding…"

"I am not joking, Zell. He blew your body into atoms, effectively destroying almost any way anybody had to revive you – almost. Thanks to your selfless act of donation before you left, we were able to revive you – in a way that we had thought impossible. We took your sperm and, drawing out your genes from your DNA, recreated your body to the state it had been in prior to your death. Unfortunately, we had hoped that you would rest until the final stages of recovery were complete before we woke you and gave you this news – but it seems you have a perchance of leaving when you're not supposed to."

_Decapitation and atomisation…the ultimate way to kill a Gaian…_ Zell's mind whispered. _You should be deader then dead. You should be dust in the wind. But, as usual, you've survived. You always survive._

"Wait a second…" Zell interrupted, shaking his head to rid his hair of excess rainwater as well as shake his thoughts into place. "What…what about the others? Squall, Rinoa, Jules…where…where are they?"

Aries looked down at the ground once more, her reaction to the question obvious.

Zell looked at her dumbly, his words tumbling out, fatigue no longer a p[problem. "They're…they're not here. They've left. They thought I was dead." He said, his voice as monotone as a certain gunblader. "They've abandoned me…abandoned me in a foreign universe."

"They didn't abandon you." The Angel impersonator said quietly, continuing to squeeze his hand gently. "They thought you were dead. What else were they supposed to do?"

Zell frowned down at the girl, bewildered at her words and his grief. It was standard procedure to bury a SeeD where he falls if possible – but the least they could've done was…was… "Dammit, they've left me! They've abandoned me!!" Zell suddenly screamed to the weeping heavens, falling back from his seat as he threw his head up to crash to the stones.

The two women were immediately at his sides, looking down at his with wide-eyed concern like two drenched angels looking down at a fallen soldier.

Zell looked down at Aries with tears in his eyes, his body too heavy for him to pick up by himself, the drops of rain hammering into his flesh seeming to rip away any semblance of strength he had left. "Why, Aries? Why did you revive me?" He croaked, the ability to speak all he had left as he closed his eyes to the thunderous skies. "What can I do now? I'm stuck here now. Rinoa was the one who could activate the Arches. I don't have the power to Multi-Cast. I cannot proceed with my mission. I can't follow my friends. I'm useless now."

Zell heard Aries' voice through the sound of the rain falling, distant and sad. "You…you can't simply give up, Zell. You've got a job to do, a big job. You mustn't let this stop you." He felt her hand on his chest as she placed it gently onto his heart. "Your heart is still beating. And according to your SeeD code, you cannot give up on a mission until you have no more breath left in your body, and now way for your heart to move."

"My mission is null and void now, Aries." Zell whispered. "I'll never get back to Gaia. I'll never see Ma again. And I'll never see my Angel again. I should have been left dead."

Zell felt the feminine hand withdraw from his chest and sensed Aries standing, and as she spoke he heard something in her voice he had never heard before. Anger. "You think you're finished? You think that you cannot live now? Fine! Die here, alone, broken and bleeding, like the arrogant, stupid _male_ you are! I should have left you alone, I should have left your head in that icy tombstone! What was I _thinking_, to think that you could have possibly helped defend us when the Hearts come for our world! Or is that too much for you, Mr. Dincht?"

Zell took the barrage of words without one sound, not bothering to defend himself. He simply allowed the rain to hammer into his soft flesh and tenderise the weak muscles underneath.

*          *            *

Aries threw her hands up ion the air, her patience tried to it's lengthy limit, before addressing the woman still crouched beside Zell's supine form. "Come on, Dee. Obviously Mr. Dincht doesn't feel appreciative of our hospitality. We'll send the cleaning crew in after the computer signifies his death."

The woman called Dee looked down at Zell, before looking up at Aries, before looking down at Zell once more – before standing and following Aries as she alighted the steps and went down them, walking onto the fields of Gotland.

Dee ran up to Aries, placing a hand on her shoulder and spinning her to face her. "What's wrong with…" She yelled – before pausing.

Tears running down Aries' face mingled with the rain as it smashed into her, making her long blond hair matt down around her face. She was sobbing openly as she looked at Dee – before looking down at her hand, realising that they were shaking. "I…I couldn't think of anything else to say…he's a man and a soldier…he runs on warriors pride…but he wants to stay dead…and now I realised I've hurt him more then I could have if I had left him dead!"

Aries sank to her knees slowly, hitting the lush green grass soaked with rainwater with a soft squelch. "I have never seen anybody act like that…now he has almost no hope left, no hope at all…"

Her voice trailed off as she blinked, her teary eyes clearing to look up at Dee. "No hope…" She whispered again, the cogs of her mind twisting and turning in unison, a plan forming within her mind.

"What? What is it?" Dee asked – before being shoved roughly to the side, Aries bolting from her seat to the Tomb, hitching her robes up to alight the stair quickly, slipping and correcting her step as she reached the top – to pause, horrified.

Zell's muscular form stood, framed by lightening, at the edge of the Tomb's cliff, looking out at the ocean as it tumbled and fell into itself, eating itself up and spewing itself back out in an insane struggle for power.

*          *            *

Aries ran up behind him, calling his name as he teetered at the edge of the cliff, the wind blowing at him from all directions. "Zell!! Wait!!"

Zell turned his head slightly at the mention on his name, his face unseeable from Aries' position.

"I've just figured it out! We have a way to get you to where your friends are going – and maybe even a way to send you home!!"

Zell didn't turn. He didn't move. He simply stood, looking out at the ocean, the rain and wind still slashing against him painfully, his broken leg only barely propping his body up, his right arm holding onto his dislocated left.

"Don't you understand Zell? We can get you home!" Aries shouted over the wind and the rain and the ocean, approaching Zell slowly. "Doesn't that make you happy?"

Zell's words were barely audible because of the sounds of the heavens and the earth as they battled against each other – but Aries heard them all the same. "His name was Azel…"

"Who…?"

Zell turned slowly, his back now to the cliff-edge, his ankles on the very lip of the cliff as he faced Aries – and smiled. "I've just remembered everything. I can't die now – not now. I've only just begun to understand. Understand what everything means."

Aries frowned. "What do you mean, Zell?"

Zell simply smiled mysteriously. "I'll tell you when I've completed my training."

Suddenly a gigantic gust of wind blew up from the base of the Tomb, blowing Aries to the ground – and sending Zell hurtling off the edge of the cliff, pushing his weakened body off the lip and tumbling out into space…

*          *            *

As suddenly as the wind came up it died down, and Aries watched as Zell, his look of mysterious contentment suddenly turning to horrified surprise, disspeared off the edger of the cliff. "Nooooo!!" She screamed – before another gust of wind blew her down, this one different from the last.

*          *            *

As Zell fell off the edge of the cliff, three thing entered his mind.

Thought number one – _You're going to die, idiot. Way to stand on the edge of a cliff._

Thought number two – _At least this time you wont be revived. You'll just have to wait up in Heaven for Angel to come to you._

Thought number three – "OWWWW!!"

Zell screamed as something suddenly grabbed onto his dislocated arm, pulling the weakened muscles in his upper arm and shoulder almost to tearing point as he looked up – to see the Angel impostor gritting her teeth in effort, one hand grasped onto his wrist firmly in a white-knuckled grip. "Hang on! I'm going to try something!" The woman called Dee shouted down to Zell, her voice strained with the effort of keeping a hold on his heavy body…

…Before she literally _threw Zell's body up and over her head_, Zell's limbs flailing wildly as he spun through the air – to be caught by the woman, the girl back flipping back and catching his body in her arms - before falling onto the ground, unable to hold up his sheer weight any longer.

Zell was breathing as heavily as the girl, and he looked down at her with a surprised look on his face – before bursting out into peals of laughter. "I thought my chocobos were really grilled then!! Thanks a bunch!" He said after bellowing to his hearts content.

The girl shoved him off her body roughly and pulled him up to his feet, throwing his arm around her shoulders for support. "Don't mention it." She muttered, looking down at her robes to see that they were now covered in mud and grime.

Aries ran up and, applying the correct pressure, popped Zell's left arm into socket before throwing it over her shoulder, sharing the weight. "Are you two okay?"

"We're fine, Grand Mistress." Dee said, the two woman beginning the long haul to the holo-deck's entrance. "And you should be more careful in the future, father. The holodeck is a very dangerous place if you don't watch what you're thinking."

Zell was still chuckling, amazed that he was still alive after that daring rescue. "Well, I was beginning to think that you Immortals weren't all that powerful, but obviously I was off – way off!!" Zell suddenly frowned, running the words that Dee had said in his mind. "Hang on – what's with calling my yer dad?"

"Haven't you realised, Zell?" Aries said with a growing smile, looking up at the warrior. "This is the result of your donation."

Zell looked down at the pony-tailed blond carrying him on his right side and watched, horrified, as she flashed a smile at him.

Then everything went black.

*          *            *

The two Immortals and an unconscious Gaian emerged from the Holodeck, wet and cold, to meet the medics waiting for them to emerge. As soon as they had laid Zell down on a hover-stretcher and he had disappeared from view, Lorelei turned a corner with towels for the two soaked women. "So? How'd it go?" She asked as she passed the towels to the women, who began to dry themselves.

"I think he took it quite well." Aries said after rubbing her hair, whipping the towel off her head to reveal a messy clump of blond locks.

"'Well'? He shouted 'What the?' and then fainted! I'd hate to see what happens when he doesn't take things well." Dee murmured, wrapping the big fluffy towel around her almost protectively.

Aries smiled at the girls' negativity and drew her into a hug, squeezing the girl in a motherly embrace. "Give him time, Dee. He's still recovering from the medication he was on and was in a state of shock and depression when we talked to him. Obviously it was one more shock to a system that couldn't take anymore."

"But…what if he doesn't want to see me?" Dee whispered, on the verge of tears.

"You're his daughter. Why wouldn't he want to see you?" Lorelei asked, confused by the possibility.

"I think that, after Zell has recovered, he'll wont want to part with you. It's the way he is." Aries said reassuringly, looking down at the girl and brushing a lick of hair form her beautiful face. "Now, go and change and we'll meet outside his room, okay?"

Dee nodded with a small smile, her optimism restored, before walking briskly away.

Lorelei watched her move out of earshot – before turning to Aries. "I saw what happened on the screens in there. Her strength grows more and more every day. She's still having trouble controlling it."

Aries smiled at the red-haired woman before her and moved up to her, slipping her hands around her hips and pulling her close. "Zell will teach her to master her power. He's a martial artist of the highest order, that's what Trish told me."

Lorelei smiled back at Aries and kissed her on the lips – before pulling back. "What if she wants to go with him?"

Aries looked down uncertainly. "That's…for her to decide. We cant make her stay here if she doesn't want to."

Lorelei nodded slowly – before beckoning to the HoloDeck door. "You told me his world is beautiful. Do you want to walk?"

"It's still raining in there…" Aries said – before seeing the glint in Lorelei's eyes. "Okay…it'll be fun…"

*          *            *

There was a knock on the recovery-room door, and the door slid open to reveal Dee, her hair dried and re-applied to it's ponytail, her white silks changed for clean dry ones.

She walked into the room to see a nurse bent over Zell's sleeping form, re-applying the monitoring tabs onto his chest and arms. "Hey Trinity. How's he doing?"

Trinity stood abruptly and turned to a computer screen, tapping a few commands into the screen as she spoke. "Males are such idiots…you'd think that he'd want to stay in bed, seeing as how weak he would have been when he got out."  
"Obviously he's not as weak as you think…" Dee said with a smile, moving over to the side of the bed and leaning her arms against it's placing her head down on her forearms to look down at his sleeping face. "I get this feeling when I look at him when he's asleep…he's so cute when he's like that…"

Trinity suppressed a laugh and turned to Dee with a half-smile. "When we leave I'll show you the tapes I have of him. He snores so loud it makes the glass in the camera vibrate."

Dee giggled at that – but immediately clamped her hand over her mouth as she watched Zell stir in his sleep. His body was covered from the waist down by bed sheets, and he raised his arms slightly, his face crinkling in a small frown as he murmured.

"I'm…taking you with me…Azel…"

Trinity looked at the EEG scans of his brain, before looking down at the warrior with a piteous sigh. "Poor thing must be having a nightmare…I'll increase his anaesthetics and give him something to calm him down."

Dee watched as Zell's face calmed down to the blankness of sleep, his arms slowly falling to his sides once more, and bent down to kiss him gently on his forehead before pulling a chair over to the side of the bed. "I'm not going to leave you, father…you'll be safe with me." She whispered as Trinity left the room.

*          *            *

Hello my loyal fans! I said I'd bring him back, didn't I? And now I hope you're all satisfied.

_Anybody who was overtly offended by the Heaven scene, I'm sorry – but that's how I see heaven to be._

_And Aries, if you're reading – remember to take heed of your character and Zell's emotions. As well as all the readers. Take heed of what you can accomplish with determination._


	21. Introducing Dee Dincht!

Ch 21 – Introducing Dee Dincht

Dee suddenly jumped, her head rested in her arms quickly raised as she was jolted from her sleep by someone clearing their throat, her sight blurry for a second – before she rubbed he sleep out of her eyes, looking around to see who had woken her.

Zell smiled up at her from his bed, his face showing a little more colour then the last time Dee had seen it, drenched in rain and pale as death. "Hey there." He whispered, his deep voice gentle as a kitten's paw – just like she would have thought.

She looked down at him with wide eyes, slightly out of wonder whilst also out of curiosity. She tried to speak, but found that she couldn't find the words. His voice, his body, his eyes – it was all foreign to her, like something out of a fantasy novel – the ones where the Heroin finds the sleeping prince trapped in ice or floating in a space-ship. There were no words to describe what she was feeling, or how she should react, or if she should even begin to speak to the man lying in the hospital bed before her.

She didn't need to. Zell spoke first. "So…you're my kid, huh?" He asked tentatively, as if testing the temperature of a pool with his toe.

Dee nodded dumbly. What else could she say?

Zell grinned then, his face almost lighting up. "That's cool…really cool."

Dee giggled then, her mind yelling her happiness to all the heavens – if they could hear her – before she composed herself. "I'm…my name is Dee." Dee said hesitantly, not sure of how much she should say.

Zell nodded slowly. "That's a nice name. I knew a girl in my universe called Dee. If you're half of what she's like, then I've got a good thing on my hands. Plus, it goes. Dee Dincht. Has a nice ring to it."

Dee nodded, before twisting her face in embarrassment. "Yes…but it's not really my _name_ name."

Zell frowned, doing a double-take. "…Come again?"

Dee shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable and even a little sad as she spoke. "Well, it's hard to explain…you see, I'm not the only child born from you're…"

The door to the hospital room suddenly slid open, revealing Aries and Lorelei, the two women holding hands as they walked in, their white robes flowing around them. Aries smiled at Zell. "Ah. You're finally awake."

Dee seemed relieved, standing and curtsying to the Grand Mistress and her companion. Aries came over and gave her a hug, before sitting her down into her chair and looking down at her, speaking in a scolding tone. "Now, I told you to wait outside for us, hmm?"

Dee looked down at her feet, biting her bottom lip as she scratched he back of her neck with a guilty look on her face. "I know Grand Mistress…but I couldn't wait…"

Aries smiled, shaking her head. "You must follow procedure, Dee. You know the consequences of not following procedure." Her words were soft, much like a mother scolding a child for taking a cookie without asking.

Zell sat up in his bed with a grunt, smiling at Dee and giving her a wink before addressing Aries. "Hey, c'mon Aries…she didn't do anything wrong…"

Lorelei moved forward, rolling her eyes as she placed a gentle but firm hand on Zell's shoulder, pushing him back down to a supine position. "For Gods sake, Mr. Dincht, please keep still. You're a wreak and you need to get well."

Zell smirked at the comment and laughed out loud. "Are you kidding?! I'm a father!! How am I a wreck?!"

"Can I count the ways? How about your broken leg? And your dislocated arm? Not to mention your numerous cuts and bruises you got in your insane act of self-destruction to get to the Holodeck. And lets not forget the hypothermia and possible pneumonia you might get from the rain you created in the Holodeck."

"I've never had pneumonia in my life!" Zell said confidently – before sneezing.

Lorelei threw her hands up in the air and sighed audibly. "Men! Always thinking they're better then everything else."

Zell sniffed, wiping his nose with his good hand. "Well, cant really argue with that…I've been accused of being stubborn more then once in my life…but a wreak I am not."

"And how are you going to show me that, hmm?"

Zell smiled at the girls – before closing his eyes and breathing in deeply, saying the word of power under his breathe. His body suddenly glowed a soft green as the Curaga took hold, healing him of his wounds, mending his broken bones and closing the cleaved flesh. The woman around him gasped in wonder as the glow receded – to reveal a perfectly healthy Zell, the warrior reaching up and tearing off the bandages and gauze covering his body to reveal white scars of healed tissue.

Lorelei and Aries immediately went straight for the monitors surrounding the bedside, taking in the readings of the computers. "This…this is unheard of!" Lorelei gasped, looking at Zell and he sat up in bed with a large grin on his face. "I've…never seen anything like this!!"

Dee looked at her father in complete wonderment, her mouth hanging wide open. Zell looked over at her and winked again before reaching over and closing her jaw for her.

Aries simply shook her head, clearing out the confusion and utter astonishment and pushing them to the side for later pondering and stepped forward. "Obviously you think you're ready to continue in your quest."

Zell nodded vigorously. "You said something about knowing of a way to get to where my friends were going?"

Aries smiled sadly, walking around the bed to stand behind Dee, placing her hands on the back of the chair and looking down at her. "Unfortunately all I have is a theory…nothing like this has ever been thought of, let alone tried…"

Zell smiled at her then, shaking his head. "All I need is hope, hon."

Aries nodded slowly, seeming to be thinking of something – before looking up at Zell. "You said something about training?" She asked, changing the topic.

The SeeD nodded. "Yep. I got my ass handed to me back there – and I'm not going to let that happen again."

Lorelei sat down in the chair on the other side of the bed, looking up at Zell. "You're really going to try and fight him again? You're going to prepare for another battle like that one you died in?"

"Of course. It's not like I'm going to be wading into him with guns blazing – if I can avoid him I will. But…something about this guy makes me think that he's not going to just leave me alone just like that. And besides…he's standing between me and my goal. Me and my home. And nobody threatens my home without paying for it."

Lorelei nodded slowly. "…Okay…it sounds reasonable…"

Zell grinned. "You think I shouldn't fight him, hmmm? I didn't know you cared about me, Lorelei."

Lorelei grinned. "I may be in charge of the Rebirth technology here, Mr. Dincht, but I'm also the leader of the Valkyres, the supreme fighting forces of the Immortals. I probably know fighting techniques you've never even heard of."

Zell frowned, looking Lorelei up and down. The long white silk robes covered her body well, revealing in some places whilst keeping the mind thinking on what else was covered up. From what Zell could see, Lorelei did have the body of a fighter – and the temperament too. "Why doesn't it surprise me that you're a fighter?" He muttered, half to himself.

"Dee's a warrior in the Valkyres too," Aries said, smiling down at the girl. "And she's getting quite adept too. I have to say that she has been the best choice we have made."

Zell frowned in confusion, looking from Lorelei and Aries to Dee. "Hey, yeah, Dee said something about…not being an only child."

Dee suddenly blanched, looking at Zell as if to say _oops, you weren't supposed to know that_.

Aries and Lore stiffened slightly yet suddenly, Aries looking down at Dee and speaking in a stoic tone. "Dear, could you wait outside, please?"

Dee tried to protest, but Aries gave her a stabbing look, and the girl stood and walked out slowly, looking back at Zell one last time before shutting the door behind her.

Zell was confused. Before it was like Aries and Lorelei were like mother figures to the girl – but then they were suddenly cold, as if Dee had revealed something…important. "Hey, c'mon, what's with the cold shoulder Aries?"

Aries sat down in the chair that Dee had inhabited and exhaled slowly, running a hand through her long blond hair before locking her blue eyes onto Zell's. "Zell…I'm going to tell you something I hoped that I wouldn't have to tell you. Something…you might not want to hear. Dee should not have found out, but she did, and is still coming to grips with it."

Zell's face turned grim, his mind deadly serious and ready. "Okay…"

Aries sighed – before looking at Lorelei, the red-haired woman speaking. "We cultured your sperm with the eggs of a select number of women, the donors picked out from a selection of volunteers. Because of the…volume of our donation, we were able to create and culture several foetuses and grow them in Rebirth chambers within the Rebirth facilities. There were several foetuses – twenty-four to be exact. They were lettered in order – A to Z."

"But…there were complications. It has been years - many, many years – since a baby has been born on this planet, natural or artificial. Our scientists had read up on how to handle them, and even then all contact was reduced to an absolute minimum – but there were still accidents."

Zell felt his jaw tighten. Something cold gripped his spine. "What kind of…accidents?"

Lorelei continued, her voice growing in emotion as she spoke. "There were twenty four. E to Z was stillborn from the weak eggs and universal differences between your biological makeup and the many, many neutralising components, as well as ours in our modern medicines. Some of the volunteers had been with us from the beginning – their reproductive systems simply gave up on the idea of being fertilised after so many Rebirths."

Zell swallowed, his voice hoarse. "What…what about the other ones…the ones who survived."

"Only A to D was left. Four children." Lorelei looked down at her hands. "These children were cultivated from the same egg, one that had been almost miraculously strong, and had been fertilised several times from your sperm. Dee was originally a quadruplet, the fourth of four."

"…And?"

Lorelei let out a breathe. "In order to make sure that we had at least one strong child from your sacrifice…we artificially manipulated the genetic structure of the fertilised egg so it would sustain only one of the children growing within it."

"Wait a second…" Zell said suddenly, his voice forceful. "Are you telling me that you killed off three of the embryos in order to make sure one was strong enough to survive?!"

"It's the way the human structure is born, Zell. It happens all the time. At least, according to the records we have on file…"

Zell shook his head, interrupting the Immortal. "So, Dee was the you chose to survive?"

Lorelei sighed sadly. "No. We chose the A baby – Dee was one to be sacrificed along with B and C. But, in some strange twist, the two babies both fed off the B and C babies, Dee seeming to ignore all the genetic twists and manipulations we could throw at her. And, eventually, she emerged the victor of the genetic battle, rising to overcome the stronger foetus and gestating within the Rebirth chamber ferociously…as if she couldn't wait to be freed."

Zell stared off into space, his mind spinning slightly with the news. He hadn't ever known his birth parents. He had simply been found on the steps of the orphanage when he had been old enough to barely walk, crying and screaming. Thanks to the years and GF usage, Zell couldn't recollect anything regarding his childhood or his birth-parents – he had settled in with the Dincht's nicely, the soft-spoken yet firm Ma and Pa warming to his go-get-em attitude almost as soon as they had laid eyes on him. Had he been like Dee – too full of life, too determined to not give in, even though the odds were stacked against him?

He smiled a small smile then. "She…sounds like a strong woman. I'm sure…the sacrifices…were done justly. But one thing still puzzles me…"

"The fact that it's only been a week since you died, yet Dee is a fully matured woman?"

Zell grinned goofily. "Uh, yeah…it was kinda bugging me. It's only been a week?"

"That's how long it took for us to regenerate your body. And to tell the truth, Dee was up and speaking almost as soon as we came in with your head. The body is aged due to the Rebirth process, so we could pick an age for her. We've artificially inserted several intelligence implants, giving her almost all of our knowledge and as much of our history that we could fit in. Chronologically, she's not even supposed to be an fully matured embryo yet – but technically speaking, she's a fully functional eighteen year old girl."

Aries smiled. "She's more then fully functional, too. It might be your universal difference between our genes, or simply your warrior way of life – but Dee has shown a fantastic increase of strength and stamina within the last few days. In all manner of speaking, she's quite possibly the strongest woman on the planet."

Zell looked at Aries with wide-eyed shock. "Uh…really?" He grinned, looking down at his hands. "I suppose that's cool…I mean, it's a sure-fire sign that she's my kid, alright…"

Aries nodded, smiling. "She has your zest for life, Zell."

Zell nodded once more, suddenly wanting to know more, as if he wanted to catch up on the days he had missed. "Um…where does she stay? What does she do?"

"She has her own apartment, and is being trained in the way of the Valkyre." Lorelei said.

Zell grinned, a plan formulating in his head already and he spoke, his voice giddy with excitement. "Excellent. Then I'll have no reason to not start my training immediately." The warrior then sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, taking the sheet with him to drape over his naked body as he stood.

Aries giggled and stood from her seat, walking to stand beside Lorelei. "Men…always rushing to complete the task. I'll send in some clothes for you, and then we'll discuss living arrangements and what facilities you can use. Until then…" Aries put on a pained face. "…Try not to go anywhere, okay?"

Zell chuckled before giving her a finger-to-forehead salute. "Yes ma'am."

*          *            *

As the two Immortals exited the room, the door sliding shut behind them, Lorelei turned to Aries, gripping her by the shoulder. "Tell me right now. What do you think?"

"Of what?"

"Of Zell. Do you think he'll be able to do what he says he can do? Defeat that…monster that came through the Arch?" Lorelei looked down at her feet as she whispered, her voice trembling. "I don't think any of my girls could stand up to something like that…"

Aries bit her bottom lip, seeing Lorelei's frightened expression. In front of everybody else, Lorelei was as hard as a rock, never giving an inch – but with Aries, Lorelei was able to let go of all her emotional baggage. The woman took too much responsibility, Aries realised with a heavy heart. Way too much for just one woman.

Aries drew the red-haired beauty into her embrace, squeezing her gently. "He'll be able to do it, baby. Just watch."

Lorelei sniffed, trying not to cry as she gripped her lover tightly. "He's so damned positive…how can he keep trying like that?"

"I don't know, baby…it's just the way he is."

Aries looked over Lorelei's shoulder to see Dee turn the corner then, her hands folded into her robes and her manner sullen and quiet as she approached the ladies. They disengaged from each other, Lorelei facing away from the child to wipe her eyes as Aries walked up to her.

Dee was still looking down at the ground as she spoke, her words coming out in a tone that sounded like that of a child who had been severely punished. "I'm sorry, Aries…I didn't mean to tell Father of…my origins…"

Aries shook her head and lifted Dee's face gently with her hand, looking her in the eye as she spoke. "Don't worry, Dee. Everybody makes mistakes. I'm sure Zell understands."

Dee looked down again, her face and tone still cowed. "Still…I shouldn't have said anything…and now he hates me…"

"Oh please. Zell doesn't hate anybody! At least, not you and me!"

Dee looked up then, smiling a small smile. "You…you think?"

Aries beamed at the Newborn. "I know, hon. Now…go to Trista and get some clothes for Zell. I'm sure the two of you have a lot to talk about."

Dee nodded excitedly, before turning and running down the corridor, vanishing from sight almost instantly, the only thing remaining being her happy giggle that echoed around the hallway.

Aries sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "Well Zell…" She whispered to herself. "I hope at least you show her how to control herself."

*          *            *

Within his hospital room, Zell was having trouble controlling himself.

Now fully revived, he was experiencing some weird sensations in his head. He stumbled into the bathroom, twisting on the taps and splashing himself in the face with crisp cool water, the cold shock seeming to snap his eyes into focus and making the fog in his head clear.

He sighed before looking up at his reflection in the mirror – to jump in surprise. "Whoa!!" What was looking at him through the mirror wasn't his reflection. It didn't even resemble his reflection. The thing in the mirror had organic black armour covering it's face, glowing yellow eyes flashing out from beneath the plates of solid flesh, hard as adamantine and twice as durable. The blackness of the face had a purple-ish sheen to it, and Zell mentally kicked himself for not recognising the face. "Damn you, Diablos! What are you doing?!"

_What are you doing, Dincht?_ Diablos muttered darkly in Zell's head, the reflection cocking it's head to the side as it regarded Zell. _You took on Azel and did not even consider calling us for support. Not only that, but you haven't used us once during the mission. Are you trying to get yourself killed?_

Zell rolled his eyes, raising his hand to run his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, well, I thought I had it under control, Diablos. If you and Ifrit and Siren don't like that, then I'm sorry. I made a bad judgement call, okay? Sue me."

You died Dincht. We were trapped in your head. We would have never been able to escape if you had remained dead. You took us to the Otherworld with you.

Zell sighed, shaking his head as he began to wash his hands. "The price of being a Guardian Force, Diablos. You knew the rules when you decided to join me, as did the rest of the GF's."

The image of Diablos suddenly twisted and changed to the sultry vision of Siren, her impossibly long blond hair flowing around her as if underwater, her lips moving but her voice entering his mind silently. _We knew the rules, Zell, but you don't. We are Guardian Forces. We are here to help you. Use us. It's what we're here for._

Zell sighed, nodding. Diablos annoyed him greatly – but thankfully Siren managed to even out the scales within Zell's mind. "I…I will, Siren. If I am given the opportunity, I will call for your help."

Thank you, Zell. There is no use in fighting a battle that you can easily win if you have a companion.

Zell nodded again…before looking up at Siren with a smile. "What does Ifrit think about all this?"

The Fire-God's reflection didn't come into the mirror, but Zell could feel the warmth of his voice entering his mind. _Do not concern yourself with me, human. I am ready to die along with you at any moment._

Zell shook his head as he turned around to face the door – to see Dee standing there, a bundle of clothes held in her arms. Zell blinked, thankful that his blanket was still safely wrapped around his midriff. "Hyne, doesn't anybody knock in this universe?" Zell said with a grin, grabbing a hand towel from the towle rack and wiping his wet face down.

Dee looked confused, her eyes wide. "Who were you talking to?"

Zell grinned as he strode forward and took the clothes from her hands before placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'll tell you later, hon…I'll tell you later…"

He turned to face the bathroom…before turning around again, looking Dee up and down, as if trying to see some kind of difference, a large smile on his face as his eyes twinkled. "You're…you're really my daughter, hey?" He said, his voice a whisper, as if he couldn't say it out loud.

Dee stood there, allowing herself to be examined, her hands clasped before her meekly as she spoke up shyly. "Yes…I was created from your genes and the genes of the woman you described to Miss Aries."

Zell blinked, looking up at Dee suddenly. "The woman I described…what do you mean?"

Dee suddenly blushed crimson, the look of _oops, I shouldn't have told you that_ coming onto her face as she sighed…and reached into a fold of her robe, pulling out what looked like a photograph. "This woman…was a volunteer for the experiment. She…was the one whose egg I grew from. She…is my mother."

Zell's eyes goggled so big it put a look of concern on Dee's face. Zell's shock was so complete that he dropped the blanket surrounding his midriff to grasp the picture with both hands, his naked body open for his daughter to see, the girl gasping and covering her mouth as she turned away...

But he didn't care. At least, not at that moment

For the picture…was of Angel.

*          *            *

Zell took his stance, curling down almost into a ball as he lifted his left arm and stretched it out before him with his fingers rigid, before raising his right arm low over his head, the fist a loose ball.

His breaths were slow, almost mechanical, as he closed his eyes, waiting, waiting, waiting…

The wait only took less then a second – but to Zell it was a lifetime, before he snapped his eyes open – and blasted from his position, his body screaming forth – to slam his fist into the tree, the trunk shattering from the sheer power of the attack, the massive oak creaking and screaming as it fell, like the attack had caused bodily harm to it.

Zell was under the tree in an instant, his arms held up – to catch the trunk, his hands slamming into the bark and wood, his arms buckling under the pressure of gravity trying to force the gigantically massive oak onto his body – before Zell straightened his legs and arms, lifting the tree clear and off the ground.

Zell was showing off, really. If he really wanted to do some damage to the tree he would have used magic, or gone for a kick instead of a blow. But he wanted to sh0ow off for two things – firstly, because Lorelei had said he couldn't do it when he had suggested it, and secondly – because he loved the way his daughter smiled.

She was giggling happily now, clapping her hands and squealing with her friends as Zell let one of his hands drop, now holding the trunk up with only one hand, a gigantic grin on his face as he watched Lorelei's jaw hit the floor. "How's this for show-boating?" He said to his audience.

He had been invited out for a training session with the Valkryes, the fighting force of the Immortals, the strongest and fastest of all the women on the planet. Lorelei had explained to Zell as they had trekked out into the forest from the city that the Valkyres were really just there for security – in case something came through the arch, or in case one of the few, but insanely strong, monsters happened to wander into the city limits.

"It's rather rare." Lorelei explained as they walked along, passing trees that seemed to have been alive since the beginning of the planet. "But the monsters that had survived have evolved to a point where our biological and organic weapons are no use. They've even been able to cloak themselves from our radars so we can't atomise them if they try to enter the city – which is why the Valkyres are here."

"Right…or if something came through the Arch."

Lorelei had nodded to Zell. "Yes. Before we had no idea of the Arch's existence – but then we were being paid regular visits by those Heart people Rinoa told us about. At first, when a small reconnaissance party stole into our city, we welcomed them with open arms – before they began to kill us off one by one unless we told them how our equipment worked."

"So what did you do?"

Lorelei had smiled at him and simply said, "We fought back.", in a mysterious voice.

So now the small group of about thirty women and one man had reached the training ground, a clearing about the size of four football fields squared together surrounded by the stupidly massive oaks that the SeeDs had seen in their trip to the Ruins. In the clearing were numerous pieces of training equipment – training weights, dumbbells, gym equipment – and racks and racks of combat and training weapons, as well as an extensive shooting range.

After watching Lorelei command her Valkyres into action, Zell had asked her about the strength of the teams. "They are strong, Zell." Lorelei had answered with a small smile. "Their bodies have all been augmented genetically and biologically to make them superior warriors."

"Yeah…" Zell had said with a smirk. "But can they fight?"

But back to the present time, Lorelei had gathered her wits enough to shut her gob and speak. "Very…impressive, Zell. But what is it's advantages in battle?"

Zell smirked at Lorelei again – before pulling his arm back and lancing the tree into the air, a trail of twigs and leaves in the wake of the massive oak as it sailed through the air, over the clearing, and into the horizon. Zell looked down at the woman sitting around him with a smile, slipping into Instructor mode as easily as slipping into a warm bath. "I can lance a person with a spear at the distance of one mile. Think of the destructive properties of that tree if I spear it into a person. Not only that, but as a bat or bashing type weapon, it is ideal in a pinch, though a little unwieldy and slow. That's why I always Slow or Stop an opponent before dealing them blows with a tree." He held his hands out suddenly, almost as if he was correcting himself. "…Not that I do it often, mind you…"

The group of women laughed as one, even Lorelei chuckling at the joke, before turning to the group with a stern look on her face. "Okay ladies, show's over, back to your training."

The women stood as one and moved off to their separate venues, some moving to the hurdles and gym equipment, whilst other moved to the firing range, whilst other went to the melee venue. Zell watched as Dee walked up to him, her face lit up as she spoke. "Oh my god, that was so amazing! How did you get so strong?!"

Zell scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Well, it took a few years…heh…" _Not to mention the Junctioning you've got augmenting your body, but we wont go into the details, will we Zell?_ He thought to himself.

"Do you think I could be that strong, Miss Lorelei?" Dee asked her Leader excitedly.

Lorelei frowned at Dee, her tone strict like a drill-Sergent. "You might if you stopped talking to people and kept training."

Dee blinked – before jumping as the words set in. "Um – right ma'am!!" She said with a surprised expression on her face before scuttling off to the firing range.

Zell couldn't help but laugh as he watched her run. "Having trouble with her?"

Lorelei sighed, almost as if she was tired of the subject. "She has an excruciatingly annoying ability to gather attention to herself and slacking off. I'm finding it difficult to get her attention drawn to a task for any longer then an hour before she begins to, as you so eloquently put it, 'show boat.'"

Zell shook his head, chuckling. He had had the exact same problem with his training, never concentrating on the task at hand for too long before slipping off to go play, Baku having to track him down and drag him back. "I'm not surprised. I was like that when I was a child."

"And yet you say you're a teacher of martial arts in your universe. Tell me, how did you overcome your inability to concentrate?"

"Years of practise…plus, my master, Baku, told me that it was like 'playing' – only a bit rougher. When I first started, Baku had to get me up in the wee hours of the morning, literally force me out of bed. After a year of training with him, I was sitting up all night with anticipation, waiting to 'play' with my bigger, older friend. I had great fun with him..."

Lorelei snorted at the concept. "Ridiculous. This isn't a game, Zell. This is something that might put these girls lives in jeopardy. Are you telling me that I have to tell them to 'have fun', that it's 'just a game'?"

Zell sighed. "No…I was a kid then. When I got a little older and began going to Garden I realised the potential for discipline. I was always a little rough around the edges when it came to controlling myself and my actions – but I learnt that it wasn't a game. I know what I do is very, very real, Lore. That's why I'm so good."

"Not good enough, obviously…" Lorelei muttered – before pursing her lips, mentally biting her tongue at the slip of her tongue, before subtly readying herself for any physical or verbal abuse this male might launch in her direction.

Zell simply smiled, catching Lorelei by surprise. "Tell me Lore, do you have a last name?"

"We did away with last names centuries ago, Zell…but if you really want to know, when I started my Rebirth it was Kinnes. Why?"

Zell smirked as he walked away. "Nothing. It just explains a few things…"

*          *            *

Dee had skipped away to the firing range, and Zell followed with his hands jammed into his pockets, the cracks of the guns and rifles echoing out across the field. The gunners had one-quarter of the field cut off all to themselves, one end occupied by women standing with handguns or lying prone on the ground with rifles, the other end occupied with what looked to Zell like little discs floating a few inches off the ground.

The weapons Zell saw they had in their hands didn't look much different from the weapons Irvine and his students used. The handguns were black, had stubby barrels and were of the semi-automatic grouping of guns – the top of the gun able to eject the empty shell as the blow-back of the fired bullet pushed the slide back – whilst the rifles were long, elongated and seemed to also be in the automatic section of guns, most of the woman slamming long clips into the stocks of their weapons before charging the bolt, chambering a round into the breech.

"Ready?" The woman on the end of the line of girls yelled, before pressing a button on a little hand-held control in her grasp. "Live fire!!"

Zell blinked in surprise as the little discs on the other end of the range suddenly began to glow a soft blue – before an obviously human figure seemed to roll up from the light emitted, the soft light creating the hologram flicking every now and then as it sustained the image.

The women began to fire at will, the blue holograms flashing a red pulse as a bullet passed through them like a ripple waving across a puddle of water. The woman with the handguns held them with one hand or two, and Zell spotted Dee amongst those women, a stern look on her pretty face as she blasted off several rounds from the gun in her hand before ejecting the spent clip and jamming in a fresh one, the gun in her hand beeping briefly to signifying the auto-chambering round before she began to fire once more.

Zell walked up behind her, waiting for her to finish, before smiling and speaking up. "That's some nice shooting." He called over the gunfire.

Dee turned her head slightly, smiling cheekily at Zell. "Thanks Daddy." She said. Zell blinked hard and shook his head, having to remind himself that she was his daughter. Decked out in a skin-tight leotard of pure white that covered her whole body except for her head and hands, Dee cut a shapely figure, all the curves where they were supposed to be and more. Not only that, but with her golden blond hair, bright blue eyes and luscious lips, Zell couldn't help but feel proud that his little girl looked to-die-for.

Zell smirked, seeing how she held the gun confidently in her hands. "I'll have to introduce you to a friend of mine called Irvine. He's the best shot in Gaia. He once blew away a Bite Bug from three miles away using nothing but a handgun."

"Really? Cool!!"

Zell blinked, suddenly regretting saying the words. He abruptly realised that he didn't want his little girl anywhere near the womaniser, no matter how reformed he said he was – especially seeing that Zell had just recognised how beautiful Dee actually was. Zell frowned again as the thought echoed through his mind. _I don't believe it…I sound just like Quistis…_

Dee turned to see a bitter tasting look on Zell's face and, mistaking it for discontentment, held the gun out to him. "Do you want to have a shot?" She asked innocently.

Zell looked down at the handgun in her hand, scratching the back of his neck. "Uh, sorry honey, but Daddy is a fist-fighter, not a gun-slinger."

"Oh, go on! I bet you're really good!!"

Zell could see the anticipating look in her eyes and sighed. _Bugger it. I'm not that bad..._ "What the hell!" He said with a grin, stepping forward and grabbing the weapon from her hand. "It's been a while though…"

Zell tried to remember all that his Pa and Irvine had told him of guns, searching his mind feverishly as he looked down at the weapon in his hand. The lump of plastic and metal looked foreign in his grasp, and he suddenly found himself remembering how bored he was whenever Irvine had rattled on about 'calibres' and 'wind resistance' and 'trigger mechanisms'. It had almost been as boring as sitting through one of Quistis' lectures, back when Zell had been a student.

He suddenly remembered a little of the stuff that Irvine had told him about handguns and, lifting the weapon up in his hand, squeezed off several shots.

The bullets flew wildly, two missing his intended target by two inches and slamming into a screen at the back, which vibrated wildly with red colour when the bullets hit it. 

So far Zell had been the only one to hit it.

His third bullet, however, clipped the edge of the hologram, a loud buzz resonating out to confirm the near-kill.

Zell lowered the smoking weapon and grinned. "Not bad…" He muttered to himself – he had done a lot worse when it came to firing projectile weapons - before turning to see every girl on the range staring at him. "What?" He asked with a shrug. "You've never seen a guy miss before? C'mon, I'm a fighter!!"

The women all seemed to ignore Zell once more and began to fire at their own targets once again, several of them shaking their heads and muttering to themselves and the girl beside them. Dee took the gun away from Zell and patted him on the shoulder, her voice like that of one addressing a child. "Don't worry, Daddy…you cant be good at everything."

Zell bit his bottom lip, feeling the stares of the girls build on him – before he stepped forward and held his hand out, the palm bursting into flame, the Fira blazing out to destroy the hologram completely, the little disc exploding in mid-air as all it's sensors went off the charts because of the heat. Zell turned to Dee and blew smoke off his palm, before winking to her and walking away slowly, grinning broadly as he captured the astonished look on her face in his mind and stored it away for future reference…

*          *            *

_Yo peeps yo! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!_

_I'm sorry that I haven't been taking advantage of the GFs as much as I ought to – to tell the truth, as I played FF8 I began to rely more and more on my characters and their Junctions beating people/monsters up then Drawing GFs, so that's really why I never use them. But you will be seeing some GF action later in the fic – not only that, but I think a little GF against GF action will be needed. Tell me who you want to go head-to-head and I'll see if I can incorporate it into the story!!_

_Dee will become a pivotal character in the chapters coming up – plus I couldn't exactly send Zell into the great unknown without some kind of companion! What kind of sadistic maniac do you think I am? Don't answer that…_

_Well, better get working on Chapter 22!! Oh, and BTW – broke the half-way mark word-count for Tournament in the last chapter! BOOYA!! So technically, if I continue at the same pace I am now, Twist In Time ought to be at least 1/3 bigger then Tournament!! Just…wow. I never thought I had it in me._

_Keep reading and reviewing, and tell yer friends to read too!!_


	22. Why Cant I Come!

Ch 22 – Why Cant I Come?!

It was a little later in the afternoon when the Valkyres began to do their martial arts exercises, the girls getting together in a big group in the centre of the field before lining up and performing kicks and punches, their forms perfect, their synchronicity flawless. A few of the more advanced students still worked out from the main group, and Zell watched them too. Zell watched from the sidelines for an hour first, to gauge the women's strengths, weaknesses, and their varying techniques. Almost all the girls were quick on their feet, their acrobatic skills amazing. Back flips and somersaults were plentiful in the Valkyre fighting style, Zell saw. 

Not only that, but speed was also essential. Zell watched as a girl, her brown hair tied into a tight bun on the top of her head, attacked a wooden dummy relentlessly, her hands like stabbing knives as they sprang from her body like a snake, the attacks causing the fingers to smash into the wood before the hand retreated instantly for another attack. Zell counted at least fifty attacks in one minute, before the girl stood back and launched a devastating round-house kick, blasting a gigantic chunk from the tenderised wood as if she had planted explosives into it before-hand.

Zell noted the way Lorelei taught her students too, the discipline she commanded from her girls rigid. Zell couldn't say he condoned the actions – in his eye Lorelei needed to loosen up a little – but _damn_ she was a good instructor. Although stern and unforgiving in some aspects, there was fairness in her actions that gathered the respect of her students. If one girl faltered in her movements, Lorelei would single her out and talk to her, showing her the manoeuvres, before asking for them to be shown to her, not letting the girl back into the group until she had done a series of attacks against an invisible opponent. She never raised her voice at a single student, and at times stopped the entire class to show everybody how it was done, in case anybody else didn't understand. And she was always amongst them, doing the routines with them form the front, sweating along with the rest of the girls in the afternoon sun.

It had been almost an hour and a half before Zell spotted Dee standing out by herself, a ways away from the rest of the group, stoically going through a devastating routine of kicks, punches and blocks against an invisible opponent, her body weaving a rolling through the air and on the ground as her hands struck out in the varying attacks of her technique.

Zell watched as Lorelei called for a break, but saw that Dee kept on going. He moved swiftly to Lorelei, watching as she towelled down her face and arms, before tapping her on the shoulder. "Hey Lore – whats with Dee? Why doesn't she get a break?"

Lorelei turned to Zell, wiping her face down before flipping the towel over her shoulder. "Because she never needs one, Zell. I could leave her out there all day and she'd still be doing the same routine, trying again and again to perfect it. She hardly ever tires."

"I thought you said you had trouble getting her to concentrate on one thing at a time."

Lorelei chuckled. "That's when weaponry is concerned, Zell. Dee will perform martial arts whenever and wherever – she loves to do it."

Zell grunted in mild surprise as he turned to watch his daughter continued her routine, still speaking to Lorelei. "So why don't you let her train with the other girls?"

Lorelei's voice became soft. "Because…she's too powerful."

Zell flicked around to looked at Lorelei with wide eyes, seeing a hint of fear within her gold-flecked green eyes. "C-come again?" He whispered.

"Shes too powerful, Zell. The first time I had her in the group she swung out too far and punched a girl fifteen meters into the air. Not only that, but she's already learnt all the techniques I could show her, and she's begun to display techniques _I've never seen in my life._ It's like she's got some kind of hidden reel of moves in her head which she can tap into unconsciously. But no matter what I try to do, I cannot get her to do them on command. So, for the safety of the other girls, I let her train alone."

Zell turned again, slowly, to watch his daughter perform another roll – and come up in a stance that looked oddly familiar. Coming up with her feet spread wide, she bent her knees back slightly, her left fist bunched and pulled back almost as far as she could take it – before flinging it out as fast as she could, the fist hovering in the air for a split second before she resumed her routine as if nothing had happened. _Meteor Barret…how could she know that?!_ Zell wondered to himself, recognising the practise manouver instantly – he had performed it countless times in the past.

Zell turned back to Lorelei, looking her straight in the eyes. "Look…can I ask you something?"

"You may."

"How much more does Dee have to learn from you?"

Lorelei placed a finger on her bottom lip, a thoughtful expression on her beautiful face as she thought about the answer. "Not much, to tell the truth…she was given most of our fighting techniques before she was even born, and her body has developed in such a way that she could withstand almost any attack…why?"

"I want to train with her. As a matter of fact, I want to _train_ her."

Lorelei blinked – before turning to face the SeeD, jabbing a perfectly manicured finger into his chest. "Now look here, you _male_. That girl may be your biological daughter, but she is still an Immortal and still a Valkyre. I'll say who trains her and who she'll interact with, do I make myself clear?"

Zell blinked, shocked and confused at Lorelei's reaction. He decided to retaliate, pushing the finger jabbed into his chest away as he stepped forward, frowning. "Why do you hate me, Lore? Is it because I'm so different? Is it because guys did this to your world? Because I'm sorry, but I'm not the one you should be blaming, because I did nothing to you or your people to garner such disrespect!"

Lorelei blinked then, stepping back, away from his forceful words – and Zell was shocked to see tears verging in her eyes. "You…you think I hate you?" she whispered meekly.

Zell instantly felt like the biggest loser of the planet. "No, I don't think I hate you…" He said quickly, holding his hands out to comfort her. "It's just that we're so different…"

"True…you're so random in your actions, while I'm always right…"

Zell nodded instantly, willing to please the near-tears girl. "Yeah…hey, wait a minute…"

Lorelei brushed a lick of red hair from her face, turning away from Zell as if dismissing the entire conversation, her eyes dried immediately. "Fine. You can train her." She said, the hurt tone in her voice suddenly gone, replaced with something bordering on jubilance.

Zell blinked, watching as she walked away – before realisation hit him like a Granaldo shot out of a cannon. And to add salt to the wounds, Diablos' words darkened his mind, the sneering tone saying it all as the GF put what he just acknowledged into words.

You were played just then, Dincht. She saw an opportunity to show you who was in control, and you fell for it hook, line and sinker, you weak hearted fool.

_Shut up, Diablos…_ Zell muttered to the Gravity God as he turned away, scuffing the grass with his shoe in annoyance as he walked over to Dee…

*          *          *

Dee was just finishing off the Light Hearted Worm technique and was slowly moving into the Bucking Bronze when she felt a presence beside her. Breaking her concentration for a split-second she looked over – to see Zell standing a little ways away, sitting cross-legged on the ground and watching her intently, his head in his hands.

"Please, continue hon. It's actually rather fascinating."

Dee giggled – before continuing at double-speed, her hands and feet flying at an amazing pace as she began to move from the slow yet soft defensive positioning of the Worm to the quick and powerful Bronze, her hands suddenly thrust out before her as she imagined them slamming into her opponents stomach, retaliating in accordance to the calculated reactions of her invisible assailant by flipping her hands up and into the air. If the attack had connected the receiver would have doubled over before being flung, spinning head over heel, into the air before slamming face-first into the ground. Leaping high, Dee followed through with the attack, her knees digging deep into the grassy ground where the invisible opponent should have been, before rolling back and coming up with a stab – 

To be arrested by Zell's hand, Dee's flat palm mere inches from Zell's smiling face.

Dee instantly backed away, retrieving her hand and looking concerned. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry…" she said quietly, retreating away from the SeeD – who stood and walked forward, chuckling.

"Nah, nah, it's all good, hon. In fact, I was hoping that you'd spar with me."

Dee looked up at Zell meekly, brushing a lick of blond hair from her eyes slowly as she processed his words. "S-spar? As in fight you?"

Zell shrugged, pulling off his shirt and tossing it away to reveal his tightly chiselled chest. "If you wanna. I just want to gauge how strong my little girl is, actually. That's all." He smirked as he cricked his neck to the side, before beginning to stretch his legs. "I doubt you'd be any match for me, anyways." He said the words as if issuing a challenge.

Dee suddenly found a small smile playing on her lips, the smile turning into a full-blown grin as she stood upright, placing a hand on her hip. "You're challenging moi?" She asked, her voice full of mock incredulousness. "I'll beat you into the ground, old man!"

Zell paused in his stretches. "Hey! I'll have you know I'm only twenty three, thank you very much!!"

Dee didn't answer – she simply ran forward, her fist sailing through the air to be caught by Zell's hand, his fingers locking around her hand and, pulling back, threw her up and behind him, the Valkyre sailing through the air – to flip mid-flight, landing on the balls of her feet and spinning – to see Zell still stretching. "Hey – I wasn't ready." Zell said with a smirk, now moving from his legs to his arms, pulling his left arm up and over his head to touch his right shoulder-blade.

Dee smirked as well – before approaching the SeeD quickly, a flurry of blows beginning to rain down on him.

Zell, still stretching his arms, ducked and weaved through  the attacks, his mouth an unwavering smile as his daughter continued to relentlessly attack him. _Wow…she is good…_ Zell thought to himself as Dee suddenly dropped to the ground and flicked her leg out, the SeeD having to jump lightly to avoid the trip – but only barely making the jump. _Really good…_

Dee flipped up to her feet and let loose with another punch, this one sailing through the air – to be arrested by Zell's knee, the SeeD lifting his leg so high it actually stopped the blow from connecting with his body. They stood like that for a second – before Zell cricked his neck again, cracking his knuckles too. "Are you done yet? Or can I retaliate now?" he asked.

Dee was enjoying herself. Even Miss Lorelei couldn't keep up with her attacks – yet Daddy was _toying_ with her. "Be my guest." She said cheekily, pulling her arm away from the block and spinning her body around to release a full-spin kick…

…Which Zell countered at the last second, Dee's foot sailing into his hands, which gripped the ankle and the toes before spinning, the girl twisting through the air to land on the grass with a soft thud, her eyes wide with shock as she turned – to see Zell's smiling face right next to hers. "You'll have to do better then that if you want to train with me." He said in a pleasant voice as his eyes twinkling with delight.

Dee rolled to the side before jumping to her feet, taking her stance instantly as she spoke, her words bubbling with excitement. "You're going to train me?!"

Zell smirked, standing up straight and crossing his arms across his broad chest. "I will if you can land a punch on me. If you cant do that, then you're not worthy."

Dee was in heaven. Her eyes wide with expectation and determination, she changed her stance slowly for a different one, Zell noting that it was one with more aggression – before she advanced, her hands slashing out for the face, head, body, her fists almost a blur as they began to rain down at Zell – who dodged the attacks slightly, his body ducking and weaving through the attacks, his hands slapping away the ones that came too close for comfort – before finally grabbing a straight jab by the wrist and pulled her close, his hand snaking into her defences to slap her lightly in the stomach.

"Keep your guard up." Zell muttered, before letting her go, watching as she stumbled away – and took her stance again.

It was obvious that their fight was going to attract attention, and it wasn't long before the rest of the Valkyres were soon watching them, some even coming up close and sitting a ways away to watch as the two fighters continued to exchange blows and retorts.

Zell let his head fall to one side as a slap flew pas this face so close the wind tickled his nose – before he lifted his knee almost casually to block a low kick before he bent his body back to allow a high kick to sail over his midriff, the smile on his face not wavering one bit as he looked at the world upside down – and saw that they were drawing a bit of a crowd. _Cool…_Zell thought to himself as he followed through with the bend to go into a full back flip, the motion allowing the sweep Dee launched to sail smoothly across the grass where his legs had just been.

Zell landed on his feet and looked at his daughter with a huge grin on his face, goading her on as he waved her closer. "C'mon. You can _so_ do much better then that."

"You ain't seen nothing yet!!" Dee cried, running forward and launching a flying kick…

Which sailed over Zell's head as he simple stepped to the side, the attack sweeping right past him, causing Dee to fall and roll on the grassy ground, following through with the roll to come up on her feet, her face flushed but her body uninjured.

Zell turned and smiled at her. "Never get angry in a fight. You'll do all kinds of stupid mistakes."

Dee screamed a battle cry as she ran forward, her attacks now wide and swinging, Zell having no trouble dodging or blocking any of them. She was fighting with her emotions now, like you're supposed to – but with all the wrong emotions. Zell could see the frustration and desperation building within her eyes as he continued to evade her attacks by narrow margins, his smile now fading as he realised that she was giving it her all.

Suddenly grabbing her wrists, stopping her desperate attacks, Zell watched in utter surprise as Dee began to cry, sobbing uncontrollably. Zell had no idea why she was getting so worked up about it. "Hey, hey…what's the matter, hon?" Zell asked, the concern evident in his voice as he hugged her close, cradling her weeping face into his shoulder.

She began to hiccup as she spoke tearfully. "Because (hic)…I cant…(hic) hit you…(hic). And now you're…(hic) not going to train me!!"

Zell shook his head and smiled as he began to stroke the girl's hair softly, not really knowing why he did it – but remembering it used to sooth him whenever Ma had done it when he had been feeling sad. She had tried so hard, trying to please her father as much as she could, and it aggravated her that she couldn't live up to his standards. "Aw, c'mon babe – I was still going to train you. I just had to see how much work there was to be done, that's all." Zell said, feeling that he needed to explain himself.

Dee sniffed as she looked up at him. "R-really? You're…you're going to train me anyways?"

Zell smiled as he cuffed her cheek playfully. "Yeah, why not."

Dee giggled then – before reaching up and punching him softly in the chin, her face beginning to glow again as she giggled once more. "I hit you! Now you _have_ to train me!!"

Zell shook his head with laughter, before pushing her in the shoulder playfully. "Yeah, yeah, you got me."

Dee jumped up and down in happiness - _much like Selphie_, Zell mused – before planting a quick kiss on his cheek. Blushing hotly, Dee backed away from Zell before running to her group of friends, the women swarming the girl as they all squealed in happiness, leaving Zell to stand there with a shocked expression on his face, his hand where Dee had pecked him.

_Was that what it was like to have a kid? To console her when she was feeling sad?_ Zell thought to himself as he lowered his hand to look down at it, still feeling the warmth of her body near his – before smiling and nodding, looking at Dee as she waved to him through the crowd of friends, the SeeD waving back to her slowly. _Yeah. Being a father is going to be a piece of cake._

*          *          *

"You want to what?!" Lorelei screeched, making Aries wince.

Dee looked down at her lap meekly, sitting in the chair that sat in front of the Grand Mistresses' desk, and began to want to sink into the carpet. "I said…I want to move in with Daddy."

Lorelei was almost tearing her hair out. "You can't move in with him!! He's a man, God knows what he'll do to you!! And stop calling him that!!"

Dee's voice was quiet but firm as she spoke. "He's my Daddy. He wont harm me."

Lorelei looked like she was about to have a fit, so Aries stepped in, her lilted voice flowing evenly from her full lips. "Have you asked Zell yet?"

Dee squirmed in her seat. "Well…no…but it would be so much better! I wouldn't have to travel all the way across the city to see him, and we'd be able to do our training all the much better, and…"

Aries interrupted softly, a small smile on her face as she spoke. "Maybe you ought to speak with Zell about it, honey, before asking for our permission. But thank you for coming to us first anyways."

Dee nodded, standing and straightening her robes before bowing and moving out of the office quickly, the door sliding shut behind her – and allowing Lorelei to finally laugh. "Oh my god, she was so afraid just then!!"

Aries laughed along with her. It had been their plan all along to let daughter and father spend more time with them – and in the week that Zell and Dee had been training, it had been hard to separate them. "I think maybe you ought to go a little more easy on her next time though, honey. You don't want to make it seem like we actually want the two of them apart."

Lorelei planted her hands on her hips and pouted down at Aries. "Oh, come on! I'm having fun!!"

Aries was smirking as she shook her head. "Yes, I can see that…"

*          *          *

"You want to do what?!" Lorelei screeched, making Aries wince again.

Zell looked down at his lap, stealing a glance at Dee, before answering meekly. "It would only be until I move on…I don't really see the big deal, you guys…"

"Well, I do, Zell!! God knows what you might do to her, with your hormones raging as they are!!"

Zell held up his hand. "Okay, I passed that stage ages ago…"

"Shut up!!"

Zell lowered his hand obediently and decided to study the seam on his pants with extreme intent.

Aries couldn't help but smile slightly. The two of them obviously wanted to spend time together, to get to know one another – Dee with her voracious appetite for knowledge about his world, Zell wanting to know more and more about her and her way of life – that to keep up this charade was beginning to get painful.

It was extraordinarily funny seeing the two strongest people on the planet so thoroughly cowed, however.

Aries spoke up as Lorelei launched into another lecture, her quiet voice silencing Lorelei's. "Okay. I'll arrange for all of Dee's possessions to be moved into Zell's quarters as soon as possible."

Dee stood suddenly – "Really!!" – before realising where she was and whom she was talking to and sat down immediately.

Zell, however, couldn't give a rats ass where and who he was talking to, jumping out of his chair and pulling Dee up with him, hugging her so hard her back cracked audibly. "Hear that, hon?! You're coming to stay with me!" He cried happily.

Dee nodded quickly, her face turning blue as Zell's arms continued to squeeze the air out of her lungs – before he dropped her, letting her gulp in a huge amount of breath as he talked quickly, unable to control his excitement as his hands moved along with his words. "I can make you breakfast in the morning and help you with your homework and tuck you in at night and talk to you about the girls you wanna go out with and we can pig out whenever we want and watch movies together and just _hang_! It's going to be so fun to _hang_ with my _daughter_!! _Wow_! Thanks Aries, you're the _best_ chick a guy could know! And Lore, you're okay in a weird…ex-military kinda way! C'mon hon, lets start moving yer gear now!!"

Zell clamped his arms over her shoulder and excitedly bolted for the door, Dee desperately trying to bow or curtsy or something to the Grand Mistress before they both disappeared out the door – allowing Lorelei and Aries to collapse into each other in uncontrollable laughter.

*          *          *

The time the two of them spent together was fun. Zell's go-get-em attitude paired with Dee's stubborn will made them impressive to watch whilst training, as well as when they lived together. It wasn't long before Dee, used to the mainly vitamin and mineral enriched and enhanced foods of the Immortals began to enjoy Balamb Hotdogs as much as Zell. Not only that, but their nights spent together – mostly boiling down to Dee rattling off endless questions to Zell until the wee hours in the morning – were typical of a father/daughter relationship.

Zell, growing to love the blond girl second by second, seemed to be in awe every time she walked into the room. Dee, respectively, loved her daddy, doting on him as much as possible, sometimes to the point of annoyance on Zell's part, especially when it came to the subject of bathing.

It had been…surprising, when Zell had turned on the shower one morning to turn and see Dee standing behind him, brushing her teeth, clad only in a skimpy tee-shirt and panties, her sleeping clothes. Zell had managed to grab his towel before it fell off his hips in shock and squinted at her, his voice full of incredulity. "What – what are you doing?" He almost screamed.

Dee looked at him with wide eyes, removing her toothbrush before spitting the toothpaste out of her mouth into the sink. "I'm going to wash your back. Is that alright?" She asked, wiping the excess toothpaste from the corners of her lips with two fingers.

"…No it's not alright!!"

"Why not?"

Zell paused for a second, caught by the simple look in her eyes, the innocence openly portrayed. He had, at first, thought something…sexual was going on. "So…the Immortals…they usually shower together?" Zell asked slowly, as if making sure.

"Oh, of course! You don't get clean properly otherwise."

Zell had nodded, before tucking the hem of his towel into itself to stop it from falling and, placing his arm over his daughter's shoulder, talked as he walked her to the bathroom door. "Well hon…in my universe we have this rule…where guys and girls don't shower together. At least, where I am they don't – in Esthar I've heard it's different, but I never tried…the point is, I'd feel…uncomfortable if you washed my back. Do you understand what I'm trying to say, hon?"

Dee had shot him a strange look. "You want to be dirty?"

Zell shook his head. "What? No. I'll still be able to clean myself."

"…Not well…"

"Look, I don't ask much, right? Just…do this little thing for me, okay? I swear, it's not you, it's me. It's where I come from, okay?"

Dee had nodded. "I'll just wait outside until you come out then, is that okay?"

"That's perfect, hon. Just wait outside."

Zell had pushed Dee out the door before closing it gently behind her with a gentle click, and, tossing the towel over to the sink, walked over to the shower recess – to jump in as Dee walked back inside. "Forgot to rinse…" Dee said with a smile, quickly rinsing her mouth out with water from the tap, ridding it of excess toothpaste, before walking back out, closing the door behind her politely.

Zell had turned to his luke-warm shower and jammed his head under the water, trying to wash his embarrassment for him and his daughter away.

Now they were sparring together once more, Zell helping Dee with her punches as they stood out in the training field of the Valkyres, the warrior-women training elsewhere. Zell stood behind Dee, his hands on her back as he showed her the movements of muscles which helped with attacks. "…And then this muscle constricts, tensing your fist as you clench it, before this one allows you arm to spring forward. That's all good, you probably know that, but the thing is you gotta make your Wa move through the muscles and exit out your fist when you connect with your opponant. Now try again."

Zell turned Dee to the wooden dummy standing beside them, walking over to lean on the dummy with his arms crossed. "Let fly."

Dee bit her bottom lip, before taking her stance – and letting her fist flick out, the ball of meat and bone travelling _into _the wood and reducing it to shattered chips.

Zell brushed the chips off his head and shoulders as the dummy, now sheared completely in half, fell to the floor. "Excellent!"

Dee jumped up and down in excitement. "That's five dummies today!! How am I going?"

The SeeD smiled as he walked over to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You're going great, babe. In fact, you're learning about twice as fast as I did when I was your age! Now sit down, and we'll go through some more magic lessons."

Dee sat down obediently, Zell sitting across from her and sighing, closing his eyes as he began to Draw magic from within him to send to Dee. The girl sat in silence for a few seconds, rocking on her haunches impatiently, before speaking up. "Daddy? Will you tell me about your Sorceress adventures again?"

Zell smiled, his eyes stil closed as he spoke up. "You never give up, do you?"

"But I wanna know! And you tell the stories _so_ well…"

"I don't think Lore and Aries will like it if I keep telling you these stories. Remember what happened the first night I told you about it?"

Dee nodded meekly. "I had nightmares…"

"Yeah. So maybe some other time. Or even better, when I go I could come back with some, like, books on it. I think Laguna wrote something about the quest, and I'm pretty sure Selphie has it all recorded somewhere within her Journal Archives…"

Dee nodded slowly, suddenly stopping her continuous movement and falling silent.

Zell opened one of his eyes to see Dee's saddened face. "Why so blue, hon? If you really want me to I'll tell you when we get back to the apartment…"

"It's not that, Daddy…it's just…" Dee suddenly thumped the ground with her hands in anger. "Why do you have to go? I mean, we were having so much fun together, and now you'll have to leave!! Miss Aries told me the other day that the device she's been making for you is ready! You'll be gone soon, going to fight your double…and I'll miss you…"

Zell fully opened his eyes, his concentration fading as he reached out ad grabbed one of Dee's hands. "Don't worry about it, hon. I've learned lots while training with you. I'm sure I'll be able to take care of myself."

Dee looked down at the grass, running her fingers through it depressingly. "But…you'll forget about me. You won't want to come back when you rejoin your friends. You'll be having too much fun without me…"

Zell sighed. "That's…that's the way it has to be, babe. I can't have you getting hurt in battle, especially against these guys. I mean, yeah, you're strong – really strong – but I'm not sure wether or not you're good enough yet."

Dee stood up, roughly taking her hand away from Zell's as she looked down at him with betrayal in her bright blue eyes. "Fine. If that's the way you wanna do it, then that's the way we'll do it. We're going to fight, and if I win, I get to come with you. If you win, I'll stay here. Okay?"

Zell sighed, holding his hand out. "C'mon, Dee, sit back down, we gotta work on your magic…"

Dee didn't answer, and she didn't do as Zell told her. Instead, she reached down and, gripping his hand firmly, picked him up – and _threw him up into the air_, her small frame betraying her immense strength as Zell tumbled through the air – to land on his feet, a little discombobulated but okay none-the-less. "Okay Dee, now you're making me mad." He said sternly as he rose to full height.

Dee stepped up to her father and let loose with a barrage of punches and kicks, using a variety of Valkrye and Dincht moves as Zell desperately began to block, dodge and counter, Dee's strength a hell of a more advanced then the first day he had sparred with her – but still no match for his. "Dee – stop this!!" Zell shouted forcefully, knocking away a right hook and smashing his fist into her chest, blowing her back to skid across the floor on her back, the girl using her arms and legs to serve mid-flight as Zell dashed forward and rammed his elbow into the ground where she was supposed to be.

Zell looked up – to feel her small fist slash across his face, knocking him back two steps before coughing as she ran up and launched herself at him, her feet smash into his chest and knocking the two of them to the ground, Zell's wind knocked out of him. _Hyne…_Zell thought as he felt her straddle his chest. _Where'd she come from? I'm having trouble reading her attacks…just like…_

Dee grabbed him by his shirt-front and shook his body, yelling at him, the excitement and enjoyment usually in her voice now gone. "I beat you, Daddy! I beat…"

Her words were cut short as Zell suddenly slapped his hand up over her ears, making the drums pop and her head to feel like it was about to explode. The girl fell backwards, screaming in pain as Zell picked himself up, shaking the stars from his eyes and rubbing his jaw – before walking over to her and grabbing her by the collar, talking as he hefted her over his head. "You gotta _defeat_ me, Dee – _defeat me!!_" He screamed, almost like an order – before throwing the girl _across the field_, the Valkyre warrior slashing through the air to slam into the weaponry section, tumbling into a group of her fellow students as they practised with the staff, Dee knocking them all to their feet as she rolled to a stop.

*          *          *

Zell walked forward, knowing now why people hated him sometimes. He had a stubbornness within him that was dangerous, not only to the people around him but also to him personally – and he saw this stubbornness mirrored within Dee. The girl was going to hurt herself and somebody else in her blind fight to protect her father.

Zell knew that she had seen the recordings of Azel's battle with him, the images of Zell's severed head flying through the air burned into her mind like it was Zell's. The fact that he was going to try and defeat a person like that after only a month of training was absurd to her, and they had argued about it occasionally.

_"Daddy, you don't know wether or not you'll be strong enough!!"_

_"If I don't, then my world is gone, Dee, and who will protect your world then?! I havr to go and do it, it's my job!"_

_"But why can't someone else do it?!"_

_Why cant someone else do it…_ Zell thought for a second, watching as Dee pulled herself from a pile of staves – and picked one up, swinging it around in the air before advancing, charging towards him with the staff raised.

"Dee!!" Zell cried, back flipping as the staff flew where his legs had once been before jumping to the left as it swung up, almost taking his knee out. "Dee, stop! I know what you want to do, and it's impossible!!"

Dee twirled the staff in her hands and advanced, swinging the staff across her body before stabbing it out like a lance, catching Zell by the chest as he twisted out of the way, tearing his shirt and drawing blood. "No! You don't know, Daddy! You'll never know!!" She screamed, swinging the staff high up above her head and down – to clove into the ground where Zell had just been, the SeeD strafing to the side just in time.

Zell kicked out with his boot, catching the stuck staff and knocking it into the air before catching it, twirling it expertly before using it to push Dee back, the end of the pole stabbing out at her torso, forcing her back to slam into another staff-hold, Zell pressing the end of his staff against Dee's heaving chest, locking her against the weapon-rack. "I do know, dammit! I know exactly what it feels like to let someone go, knowing full well that I might never see them again! I'm a mercenary soldier, Dee, a SeeD! I do this _daily_, I'm _paid _for it! So _don't_ tell me that I _don't know_!!"

Dee whipped her hand out suddenly, knocking the staff from her chest and, spinning, ripped another staff off the rack and slammed the end into Zell's, knocking it out of her face before advancing, making the two martial artists lock together, the two of them staring each other dead in the face as their staves blocked each other's advances.

Zell was shocked to see tears in Dee's eyes, the girl barely able to hold them back as she screamed into his face. "Damn you, Daddy, why couldn't you be weaker?! Why can't I beat you?! I want to help you, cant you see?!"

Zell screamed back into Dee's face, hoping to drown out the sound of his tearing heart with his words. "And what about you, huh?! Do you think I'd send my flesh and blood into war?! I'd never do that, no matter what anybody paid me!! I love you too damned much, Dee, too damned much!!"

Dee screamed out then, pushing out with all her might – but, even though she was a warrior of excellent strength, speed and skill, experience always won out at the end of the day, and Zell's male strength was too much for the girl, forcing her back a ways – before Zell stepped back suddenly, making Dee stumble forward – and allow her staff to be knocked out of her grip, the long wooden pole flipping out into the distance as Dee fell to the ground on her belly to be locked there by Zell's staff, which he jammed into her back, making her wriggle like a pinned butterfly – and like a pinned butterfly, unable to get up.

Zell watched her struggle, unable to contain it anymore as the tears rolled down his cheeks. "Do you think I like doing this, Dee? Do you think that if I were good at anything else, I'd do it? I'm a fighter, a warrior, a martial artist, one of the best in the known _universes_. This is my life – to fight for others, to fight for the people I care about. I can't ask you to come with me, because I care too much about you. It's as simple as that."

Zell suddenly removed the staff, tossing it away as he turned away, Dee scrambling to her feet to defend herself – but watching, dumbfounded, as Zell began to walk away, heading for the city on the horizon.

Dee ran forward screaming, crash-tackling the both of them to the ground. Zell made to rise again, unperturbed by the attack – to see that Dee had locked her arms around his chest, her hands gripping opposite wrists, not letting go. "Let me go, Dee." Zell said quietly, listening to the girl sob – before shouting. "_Let me go, Dee!!"_

"No!! I'd rather die then let go!!"

Her words drove the final nail into Zell's heart, and he somehow pushed himself to his feet, his face deadly blank. "Then I have no choice." He muttered, raising his hands, purple light flowing around him, whispering the activation word under his breath…

Dee slid off Zell's back, snoring quietly as the Sleep took a hold of her, Zell quickly spinning and catching her to lower her quietly to the ground. She looked like…well, an angel as she slept, her face delightfully blank as Zell tenderly brushed a lick of hair from her sweat-covered face…before standing and walking towards the city slowly.

*          *          *

Aries looked up at her monitor to watch as Zell walked into her office, a look of despair on his face. Walking in slowly, her sat down in the chair before her desk with a heavy thump, as if his body couldn't take his weight anymore.

Aries looked the man up and down, seeing the marks and grass stains on his clothing. "Get carried away training, hmmm?" She asked evenly, watching for his response.

He looked up with wide eyes – before looking down. "You know…of course you know. You always know."

Aries smiled warmly. "It's part of my job to know what is happening on the planet, Zell. The point is, why wont you let her go?"

Zell shook his head, lifting his hands up high and shaking them at the heavens. "Dear Hyne, why wont they get that _this is not a game?!_"

Aries watched him as he lowered his hands sheepishly – before spinning her monitor around, showing him the screen. "See this?" She asked, pointing at the live feed.

"What…" Zell began to ask – before his voice trailed to a stop.

Dee sat on the ground, revived from the Sleep and surrounded by her friend and comrades – yet crying uncontrollably, the Valkyres around her unable to console her, Lorelei fretting about her like a mother hen as Dee continued to wail. Aries spoke up quietly, watching Zell as his face fell, but unable to look away. "She woke up not five minutes ago. When she realised that you were gone, she immediately assumed the worst – that you don't like her anymore. That, of course, led to the assumption that you _never_ liked her in the first place, before ultimately she accepted that you were most likely gone already and that she would never see you again." Aries pressed the power-switch to the monitor, the device blinking off and releasing Zell from his torment, before the Immortal leant close to him.

"Listen to me, Zell. Dee is a very, very unstable girl. She might have the intelligence and body of an eighteen year old, but sociably she's barely a month old, trying to adapt to emotions and feeling that she has never felt before. She has a massive reputation to live up to in this world – she has a _father_ to love her, as opposed to a _lover_ from our world. And whilst she accepts that you do love her, she has no real way of knowing – and therefore is frightened and confused easily by your emotional tactics. In a situation like this, if she was a fully matured woman, I'm pretty sure she would be hating you right now, even more then Azel. But no – she is simply trying to figure out _why her father has abandoned her._ And until she finds that out, she'll never be whole again. The person you've come to love will be _gone, forever._ We might as well have killed her off whilst she was gestating. So _think _about her proposal before judging why and why not she should go with you."

Zell looked up at her then, his face saddened beyond belief. "You say that – and yet you don't have children. You don't know what it's like to lose a _friend, _a _family member._ As soon as we leave this universe, Aries, Dee's chances of dying and never returning rise by a magnitude so big you could never measure it. I'll be fighting opponents who _I_ have trouble defeating – and those are just the usual soldiers! How can you ask me to decide wether or not to take my daughter to almost certain death?"

Aries gestured to the bruise coming up on his cheek and the tear in his shirt. "And I suppose you allowed her to do those to you?"

Zell looked down at his shirt, before raising his hand to his cheek, wincing as he felt the bruise sting – before frowning. "Hey. That doesn't make any difference…"

Aries smiled then, leaning back in her chair. "Did you know, Zell, that in the month you have been training with my Lorelei's Valkyres and Dee, your skill has risen by almost three hundred percent? Not only that, but Dee's skill has risen considerably along with you. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it was about the same level as yours was when you first came here."

Zell bit his bottom lip. "No, I didn't know that."

"Did you also know that, for our Universal device to work, it would need an operator? Now, we could teach you how to operate it, but that would take time, oh, say about a year. With Dee, we could simply upload the information into her mind and send you on your way in…a day or so."

Zell was frowning at Aries. "You're forcing my hand here, Aries. I don't want her to come."

Aries leaned forward then, her pretty face also grim. "Now you listen here, Zell. Dee said so herself – she would rather _die _then leave you. And you know how stubborn she is – she would make it her life goal to achieve that objective if you leave, even with our Reborn technology. If she goes with you, her chances of survival are massively greater then if you simply left her here like a piece of trash."

Zell looked down at his hands, the knuckles swollen from countless fights, the palms covered in calluses from innumerable battles. He tried to picture those kinds of features on Dee's hands, smooth and supple as they were, but couldn't bring himself to.

He then tried to think of a world without her. The concept made him feel more sick then he felt now.

He looked up slowly, colour rising to his cheeks again as he spoke with a sigh. "Okay…okay, you guys win…I'll take her with me."

Aries sat back in her chair, a broad grin on her face. "Excellent!! You'll leave in three days."

Zell blinked, amazed at her jovial attitude. "It sounds like you _want_ to get rid of her."

Aries laughed out loud. "No, no – it's just that you're going to need all the help you can get, and this is the best way we can help you."

"But…what about the life-style changes of new minds? Wasn't that the whole point of creating Dee?"

Aries shook her head again. "Once again, Zell, you are mistaken." She reached out with a slender finger and pressed it against a button on an intercom system on her chair. "Hale, you may come in now."

The door of the office opened, and a women with cool grey eyes and raven black hair walked in, the silken robes she wore doing her slender body no justice. Aries stood and approached the girl with a broad grin on her face, placing a han don the girl's shoulder as she spoke to Zell. "Zell, I'd like you to meet Hale – the end product of Squall and Rinoa's donations. Rinoa insisted donating some eggs for us to work with – thankfully she was ready to give them at the time of her arrival."

Zell wasn't listening as he sprang to his feet instantly, the shock on his face evident as Hale walked up to him and shook his hand firmly, the smooth coolness of Squall evident in her movements. "Pleased to meet you." She said, her voice quiet and subdued.

"Hale has been with the Immortals for almost as long as Dee – but, where Dee has excelled physically, Hale has excelled in the musical aspect of our life. Her new single will be hitting the shelves in less then a week." Aries said proudly, making Hale blush slightly.

Zell blinked again in amazement. _Rinoa's mom, Julia Caraway…she was a songstress back on Gaia…could her talent have been passed through Rinoa to this girl? Not only that, but Rinoa was also a good singer, and with her Sorceress powers…_ "It's amazing to meet you, Hale. I'm sure that your mom and dad would be proud of your achievements."

Hale nodded politely, before turning and, with a curtsy to Aries, walked out of the room. Aries looked a little embarrassed as she turned to Zell. "I'm sorry for her rudeness – she has trouble revealing her emotions to anybody."

Zell waved the apology away, watching Hale walk away. "It's cool, Aries – I'm more then used to it…"

*          *          *

Zell had his hands in his pockets as the doors of the elevator opened, allowing him to walk out his apartment corridor, nodding politely to the Immortals that passed him on their daily walk. The Immortals in the building had grown accustomed to Zell being there – he had kept to himself, and except for the odd Old One trying to track him down, the Immortals kept to themselves too.

Zell didn't know how to feel. He knew Dee had been sent back home after the incident, her training over for the day, and Lorelei had told him that she had immediately gone to bed, still crying as the Valkyre leader had tucked her in. Lorelei had understood where he had been coming from – "I understand, Zell. I'd rather die then watch any of my girls fight against something like you'll be going up against." – and had placed a gentle hand on his shoulder as he had walked out of Aries' office to go talk to Dee.

He was now outside his door, his hands still in his pockets. Shaking his head, he pulled his hand out and palmed the door open, walking through and closing the door behind him.

He felt drained, not from the fight, but from the emotional barrage his heart and mind had taken that day, and he pulled his white shirt off, feeling the burn of the scratch Dee had given his chest as he tossed it into the corner of the living room. The entire apartment was generally messy in a Dincht kinda way – Dee was never one for cleaning either, yet the two of them occasionally stopped the place from going to pieces – and as Zell walked through the living room he made a mental note to dispose of the half-eaten T-Burgers he had 'thought' up for him and Dee for breakfast.

Walking down the small hallway to the sleeping quarters, he stopped outside Dee's closed door, his hand hovering just over the palm-pad as he faltered one last time. _What if she hates me now? What if she never wants to see me again? What if she wont even acknowledge my existence?_

_Only one way to find out._ Siren's voice suddenly said in his head.

Zell nodded slowly, before opening the door and walking in silently, the room oppressingly dark, Zell realising that Dee had ordered the mechanical blinds closed.

"Hey hon…" Zell said into the darkness quietly, his voice soft. "…You okay?"

There was no sound as Dee lay on the bed, her body covered in the white sheets, her head turned away from the door.

Zell walked in a little further, the door closing behind him, plunging them into darkness. Thankfully a little light slid in from the cracks of the blinds, allowing Zell enough light to manage his way to the bed, where he sat down close to Dee. "I'll understand if you don't wanna talk to me…" Zell said quietly again. _Gods, Ma makes this sound so easy…_

Dee suddenly moved slightly, not rolling over to face him – but shifting her arms so that one hung out of the sheets, the hand free, to laze across her side. Zell smiled and reached out, grabbing it and giving it a gentle squeeze.

It opened the floodgates, Dee suddenly rolling over and throwing her hands around his neck, crying passionately into his shoulder as she spoke, hiccuping cutely as she did. "Oh Daddy, I thought (hic) you were gone! I thought you (hic) hated me!!"

"Come off it, hon, I could never hate you…"

Dee pulled back, looking inot his eyes within the darkness, the tears running down her cheeks making Zell bite his lip. "Then why wont you let me help you?" She asked meekly.

Zell sighed. "Because, hon…I care about you, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"But…I wont get hurt! I've been trained by you and Miss Lorelei! You'll need me when you fight…I know it…"

Zell looked into her eyes, seeing the want to please within the sadness within them. He still thought it was a bad idea. He still wanted her to remain behind. But Aries and Dee had made strong points. It was true, she had advanced tremendously in the month that he had trained her. And he wouldn't be able to shift between universes without her knowledge. He had no choice, his hands were tied, and although a part of his desperately wanted her to remain behind, safe with the Immortals – another part of him wanted to see her in action, the little voice inside his head whispering about the hidden manoeuvres still locked within her mind. _If she comes with you, you'll have a better chance to teach these manoeuvres to her – and then she'll become unstoppable. And you know that, don't you Zell._

"Okay, okay…I'll let you come with me." Zell said with a small smile.

*          *          *

Hey there peeps!! It's been a while since I did a chapter this big, so I thought I'd better bet cracking.

_As I wrote this and brought more and more of Dee's character into the light, it became apparent that she seemed a little…emotional. And that is true, she is overly emotional – but so is Zell. The two warriors, Father and Daughter, are fuelled by their emotions. It is, to quote the Matrix, 'The simultaneous source of your greatest power and your greatest weakness.' So, all you feminists out there, take heed (you too Aries) – I'm not lumping her in with some scared-of-a-mouse girly character – it's just that she has trouble with her emotions that other people have ease dealing with._

_I also hope you enjoyed the little bits of comic relief smattered around all the serious stuff – although I didn't plan it to become so serious and dark, I believed that the funny bits would help even things out a little._

_Okies, Semper Fi peeps – gotta get working on the next chapter now!!_

_Keep reading and reviewing, and don't forget to tell yer friends!!_


	23. Valkyre's Blade

Ch 23 – Valkyres Blade

***Quick note on the last chapter – it broke the word-count for Tournament, making this story the longest I've ever written!! BOOYA!!***

Zell span, thrusting his hand out to slam into the wood of the tree, sending chips, shattered bark, and dust flying in all directions, before turning with unhindered speed and slashed out with his foot, the boot crashing into the stomach of a Valkyre and sending her flying into the underbrush, out of the fight.

Zell and Dee's time in the Immortal Universe was beginning to run out, and as the final day drew near Zell and Dee had upped their training, moving from wooden dummies to stone ones, moving from stone dummies to the monsters that roamed the forests that surrounded the city, before finally taking each other on in massive sparring rounds, some of which lasted hours. So now, the two fighters tested their skills against the girls they had trained beside for the past month and a half, not only to test their skill, but for another reason. To make Dee an honorary Valkyre.

Dee was over the moon with excitement. Not only was her father going to take her with him, but she was beginning to near his experience level, almost matching him move for move, their training making her a deadly combat machine. The Valkyres that had once snorted in her directions for being a freak of nature, born from copulation with a _male_ and not Reborn like the rest, were now sniffling away and tending to their wounds as Lorelei sent in another wave, these ones carrying staves.

The Valkyres ended their training like this, with one girl having to fend off the rest of the team, first against one girl, then against two and so forth until the team was exhausted or the girl fell from the constant battle. It was a test of skill, stamina, speed and strength – and so far nobody in recent history had reached as far as Zell and Dee had. Judging by how far a girl could last against this gauntlet, the Mistress of the Valkyres judged her rank within the teams. So imagine Lorelei's surprise with a touch of horror when Dee slapped aside the entire team without batting an eye.

Zell turned and grabbed the last girl, one of the ones carrying a wooden shield crudely made out of one of the destroyed trees, before tossing her over to Dee – who jumped up in the air and executed a mid-air spin kick, her bandaged foot slamming into the girl's midriff and causing her to rocket into the group of ten girls that advanced on the father/daughter pair.

Zell smirked and winked at Dee, giving her a thumbs up. Not only were they improving alongside each other, almost to the point where Zell sometimes wondered just how much more he could progress, but they also read off each other effortlessly – coming back to back they could perform any number of moves with almost no verbal coaching, not to include any set-up attacks that they numerously performed, one of the pair launching an attacker into the air – only for the other to finish the helpless victim off with a jaw-shattering blow or a bone-crunching kick.

Right now, however, the highly-trained Valkyres had managed to separate the two, a group of five squeezing Zell away from Dee and pushing him away from her as the rest of the group fell on Dee, swarming her with the long staves they swung with deadly accuracy.

Zell back-flipped and rolled, dodging and ducking, spreading his legs wide as a staff stabbed through the gap he had made before cocking his head to the side as another staff whistled past his left ear, the elongated piece of wood drawing back and stabbing again for Zell to only drop low to the ground, going down on his belly – and reaching out, gripping a girl's leg who had gotten too close and tripping her up – before rolling to the side as four staves suddenly pieced the grass on which they fought, the SeeD spinning along the ground like a tube of Zell – to come up with the staff in his hand, spinning it expertly over his head before facing off with the attackers.

Zell was never one for weaponry – but he had been trained in armed and unarmed physical combat, and although he only ever used weapons in a pinch (and even then if he was really desperate), he had decided early on in life that he'd rather bop a guy in the head then crack him in the skull with a 2x4. However, as Lorelei had recently told him, 'Every advantage is an advantage worth using' – and Zell figured that Azel wouldn't expect the fist-fighter to whip out a pair of nunchakus or a long Bo staff when push came to shove. Thusly he had taken a few pointers from the female fighters to brush up on hid rusty martial art weaponry skills. Thankfully he had only needed a week of training to remember what Baku had taught him.

Spinning the staff again, twirling the long piece of wood over and over in his hands, creating a semi-shield in front of his body, he pushed forward, taking one girl on the chin and sending her spinning into the air before crashing the staff down on another girls' weapon, the two warriors pushing against each other for a brief instant – before Zell ducked and rolled backwards, allowing a girl who had tried to stab him in the back to take her friend in the chest, sending her back with a cracked sternum as Zell flipped up to his feet and, drawing the staff long his hands so he held it like a bat, swung it with deadly speed, the staff snapping as it cracked against the girl's neck, sending her to the ground without much more then a whimper.

Zell dumped the broken half in his hands to the ground and turned to the remaining two Valkyres, one of the girls still holding her stick whilst the one his tripped flipped up to her feet and taking her stance. Moving forward as the staff-wielder approached him, Zell caught the staff as it was swung down powerfully, the wood being caught in his bare hands as if he had just caught a base-ball – before Zell ripped the staff from the girl's grasp and, spinning it around quickly so he had a better hold on it, swung it across the girl's faces, knocking them to the ground unconscious, out of the spar for good.

Zell cricked his neck to the side, looking over at Lorelei with a smug grin. He hadn't even broken a sweat. He watched as Lorelei stuck her tongue out at him, before leaning on the staff as he turned to watch his little girl in action.

*          *            *

Dee wasn't in any strife.

In the middle of the group of girls, the blond warrior-woman's body seemed to move with a mind of it's own, her arms and legs tracing across to be mossed by the stabbing staffs time and time again, the Valkyres surrounding her beginning to get frustrated by the fact that she was no less then three feet away from them and surrounded completely – _yet was unable to hit her._

It was only when Dee realised that Zell was finished and was watching her that she began to fight back, a huge grin on her face as she suddenly back-flipped on top of a girl, Dee's feet crushing the girl's shoulders and forcing her to the ground before Dee reached out, placing her hand on another girl's shoulder for support as she swung her body up to slash her feet against the other three girls, sending them spinning before grasping her support girl and head butting her from consciousness, dropping her limp body almost as an after thought before smiling over at Zell.

Zell shook his head with a laugh, before waggling his finger at her. "What did I tell you?"

Dee nodded with a sigh – "No showboating…right Daddy…" – before skidding to the side as a staff was speared at her, the staff flying straight through her long hair as her head bucked to the right. In retaliation Dee fell low to the ground, tripping up her attacker before jumping up and slamming her elbow into the girl's stomach viciously, causing the girl to curl up into a ball and whimper.

Dee stood up slowly, realising that her previous attack had knocked out the rest of the girl beside the one she had just neutralised, and turned to Lorelei, smiling at her as she approached. "I think we're done now, Miss Lorelei. What's next?"

Lorelei ran her fingers through her fiery red hair, a pained expression on her face as she watched the stretcher-carriers come onto the field and pick up the hurt girls. "That's was 'what's next'. You've sent all the able-bodied students to the hospital. All that's left is your final test, before you become an honorary Valkyre."

"What's that, Lore?" Zell asked, frowning as he walked up to her. "I thought she was already a Valkyre."

"No, Zell. She was only a student, in training. The last test is to come…" She said – before something beeped in her pocket. Lorelei pulled out the device and flipped it open, pressing a button before speaking into it. "Lorelei…oh, hey baby. Yes, they're with me…" She said, looking up at Dee and Zell, who exchanged glances. "…So you're all set now? Is there any rush? …I see. Well, Dee still needs to perform her final test…can she meet Zell and you in R&D in about thirty minutes? Okay…okay, I will be careful. Yes…I love you too, hon."

Lorelei snapped the device shut before returning it to her pocket, looking up at the two as she talked. "That was Aries. The Tear has been finalised. All we have to do is now load the control info into Dee's brain and you'll be all set to go."

Zell had been losing sleep waiting for those words to be uttered. "Yes!! C'mon, we haven't got anymore time to waste!!" He cried, running for the silver Streaker, the long sliver-like spaceship the SeeDs had been dropped off at the Ruins with. He turned and beckoned for Dee and Lorelei. "C'mon! Gotta make like a tree and leave!!"

Dee moved to follow – before Lorelei stopped her. "Stop!" She barked. "Dee still has one more test to finish before she becomes a Valkyre."

Zell stopped, frozen in mid-run – before spinning to face the two girls, scuffing the ground with his boot. "Aw, c'mon Lore!! She's just kicked the entire team's ass!! Can't you give it to her by default or something?"

"No." Lorelei said grittily, reaching up and pulling off her coat, tossing it away to reveal the spring-like muscles beneath the cloth. "She has to defeat me first."

*          *            *

Zell frowned. "Uh, come again?"

"Dee has progressed far enough for her to become an honorary Valkyre, that's true. But she's advanced so far that she now has the right to challenge me for the Mistress title, to lead the Valkyres in their battles. And, in accordance to the Immortal's tradition, I must challenge Dee to single combat until one of us is deemed the winner."

Dee looked at Lorelei with wide eyes. "Mistress…I cant fight you! You're too good…I'd never be able to beat you!"

Lorelei scoffed at Dee's words, beginning to move through her stretches. "Don't flatter me, Dee. You had enough power to defeat me when you came out of the Rebirth chamber – your unconscious skill was just dormant, that's all. And whilst I'm all for peace and love – there's nothing I like more then a good challenge."

Lorelei smirked at Zell. "I would have challenged you too – but if word got out that I was beaten by a _man_, I'd never live it down."

Zell frowned…before chuckling. "'Beaten by a man'…'beaten by a girl'…I get it…"

Lorelei finally finished off her stretches before facing off against Dee, speaking over her shoulder at Zell. "You can make your way back to the city. Aries will be wait for you in the R&D room. It's the same place that we revived your friend, the frozen one. Now go – we need to be alone."

Zell nodded, realising that the rest of the wounded had been taken off the field and the stretcher-bearers had gone back onto the ship. "Okies…Good luck, Dee. Remember to keep yer guard up." He said with a smile, before flashing with red fire – and disappearing into the woods, the Haste cutting his trip back to the city in half.

"I will Daddy!!" Dee cried, waving after him as he disappeared into the darkness…before she turned back to Lorelei, her game face on.

*          *            *

Lorelei watched as Dee sighed her breath out of her mouth slowly, through her teeth like Zell did whenever he was annoyed. "I really don't wanna do this…" Dee said quietly.

"I'm not giving you a choice, Dee." Lorelei said gruffly. "you either defeat me, or you don't become a Valkyre."

Dee bit her bottom lip. All of her short life she had strained to become an honorary Valkyre. It had been all she was good at – fighting and war strategy. The concepts of art regarding paintings or music were foreign to her. The endless dance of battle was what she was good at, was what she revelled in, the fluidity of her technique, the song of sweaty flesh hitting sweaty flesh, the rush of her blood pumping through her body…

…She wouldn't have be surprised if she had found it orgasmic, had she any concept of sex.

Dee finally sighed out one last sigh and took her stance, an aggressive stance with her legs spread far apart and her arms curled before her, her fists balled. "Fine. But don't be surprised if I beat you."

"Funny…that's what I told my Mistress." Lorelei muttered – before jumping from her spot, launching herself high into the air in a perfect leap-kick.

*          *            *

Dee ducked the kick easily, bending her body backwards as the foot flew over her head with speed, followed by the calves, thigh, abdomen – and then Dee made her move.

Following through with the bend-back, pushing her body backwards and thrusting her hands out to support herself, Dee let her legs spring up from where they had ben situated, her feet gliding up through the air to crack into Lorelei's back, sending the Valkyre skittling across the grassy ground, her missed attack suddenly interrupted by the surprise attack.

Dee allowed her body to flip back to her feet before going on the offensive, turning and running for the recovering Lorelei – and smashing into her with a crash-tackle, pummelling the older-woman's body into the ground and causing the two of them to skid through the grass, green blades and rich brown dirt erupting everywhere as Dee literally pushed Lorelei's body through the ground with her forward motion.

As inertia began to take Dee's body back into control she flipped up and off her tutor, flying gracefully through the air to land on the balls of her feet, hands up and feet spread in her stance, ready for anything.

The dirt and grass had built up where Lorelei had finally stopped, her hand reaching up to the edge of the little trench Dee had made using Lore's body, and pulled herself up out of it, her white uniform now stained a brownish black with wet soil, her fiery red hair matted in it. Dee half expected, judging by the way she was moving slowly, that Miss Lorelei was about to explode in anger – but all she did was face her student and smile, shaking her head suddenly to rid her hair of the dirt. "Excellent counter – and an impressive attack. You truly have advanced well since Zell began training you. But now the gloves come off."

Dee blinked. She hadn't ever heard the expression before. "Why? Do they hurt your hands?"

Lorelei shook her head and sighed. "You still have much, much more to learn, Dee…" She said with a small smile – before stepping out of the trench and advancing.

Thrusting out with her hand flat like a knife, Lorelei watched as Dee ducked it easily and went in for the counter, Dee's small fist seeming to move like lightening as it curled out from her side, aimed for Lore's stomach – before Lore suddenly slashed her hand down, the chop taking Dee by surprise and in the throat, causing her to cough and forget the counter.

Falling to her knee Dee clutched her throat – before Lorelei kicked out, her foot slamming into Dee's side and sending her tumbling away. Dee rolled to a stop almost instantly, her mind somehow pushing through the debilitating suffocation she was feeling to stop the roll before it rendered her unsure of her surroundings – and rolled backwards as Lorelei's knee embedded itself into the grass, mere seconds away from penetrating Dee's smooth stomach.

Dee rolled to the side onto her belly – and, lifting her body up off the ground with her hands, slashed her foot out, catching the recuperating Lorelei by the back of the knee and tripping her up perfectly, the Head Valkyre landing on her back with a grunt – before screaming out as Dee wrapped her arm around her head and jammed her arm behind her back in the perfect grapple lock.

With her arm around Lorelei's neck Dee had the power to suffocate her, and interlocking her arm behind her back caused excruciating pain to shoot up the limb and render the rest of her body useless – almost. Lorelei could feel Dee's sharp breaths against her ear, and judging by the strength of the grip on her arm and the shortness of breath Dee had, she hadn't fully recovered from the stab to the throat. Exhibiting willpower rarely shown _anywhere_ Lorelei managed to bring her body forward, inch by excruciating inch, lowering here body down further and further, almost to the point of lifting Dee off the ground – before snapping her head back, the back of her skull cracking into Dee's face, the girl squealing in pain as she let go of Lore and stepped backwards, clutching her face in pain.

Lorelei shook her arm a few times to get the blood flowing again, before stepping forward and launching a devastating spin kick, the heel of her foot crashing into Dee's hidden face and sending her to the ground. Crouching down next to the girl, Lorelei reached down, grabbed a tuft of blond hair and, pulling Dee's head up, smashed her fist into the girl's face, making sure that she was staying down.

Dee managed to take two unprotected hits to the face before coming to what little senses she had left, slapping the hand holding her hair away before gripping both sides of Lorelei's face and head butting her powerfully, both women crying out in pain – Lorelei because it felt like her nose just broke, and Dee because she didn't do it quite right and her face had already been burning with pain from the beating she had received before.

Lorelei toppled back like a felled tree, falling to the ground onto her back, her hands on her beautiful face as blood began to run from her nose – before widening her eyes with shock as Dee jumped up and landed on her brutally, her elbow jammed directly into Lore's stomach. The Valkyre leader lost all of the air in her lungs then as Dee ground the elbow into her gut – before doing it again, and again, just to make sure she got the point.

Rolling up and onto her feet, Dee allowed Lorelei to regain what little breath she had left and stand slowly, wobbling slightly but still able to fight. Dee's face felt like it was about to explode, and she could feel the trickles of blood coming from her nose and from her split lip running down her face. Pain was nothing new to her – the Valkyres were always trained to have high pain-thresholds, and besides – Daddy had more then once given her more then enough pain when sparring. She remembered being sent flying one time when he showed her the Meteor Barret. She had stepped into way without warning to see just how powerful it had to be. She hadn't remembered just how she had gotten there, but she had woken up in the city – a good five miles away from the training field.

Lorelei was in mortal agony, unable to comprehend just how this Newborn had so much energy and strength within her. _Must've been something in Zell's genes…he must've been born one hell of a fighter…_ Lorelei thought, wincing as she probed her stomach. Dee's vicious attack had rendered her immobile for a few seconds as the latent agony melted away. It was taking all her strength to remain standing and keep a grim face on.

Dee suddenly took her stance and approached Lorelei, one second seeming to be regarding Lore with something like innocent curiosity – the next suddenly ramming her fist into her tender stomach, lifting Lore's body _up and off the ground_ slightly with the sheer power of the attack, before slamming the next fist into her stomach, this one also lifting her off the ground slightly.

Lorelei had to do something, and lifting her arms wide, slapped them against Dee's ears, the attack making Dee's eardrums vibrate wildly and cause Dee's brain to feel like white-hot needles were stabbing in and out of her synapses. Screaming out, Dee dropped to her knees once more, holding her hands over her bleeding ears – before Lore lifted her chin with one hands and sucker punched her directly in the face, sending her tumbling backwards to lay still on the ground.

Lorelei then fell backwards on the ground, landing on her bottom and holding her stomach, her breaths coming out in short gasps as she tried to regain some strength. Her eyes were wide and she grit her teeth as she watched the supine form of Dee move suddenly, rolling over onto her belly before pushing herself to her feet, not easily – but she was obviously not displaying the bone-weariness that Lorelei was feeling.

Dee turned to see her Mistress sitting on the ground clutching her stomach, the look of agony suddenly retreating to be replaced by the mask of stone as Lore realised that Dee was watching her. "Are…you okay, Mistress?" Dee asked, concerned, wiping the blood from her ears and nose as she stepped forward with worry…

…To be batted away by Lorelei as she spoke through gritted teeth. "Why? Are you ready to give up?" She asked with a pained smile, pushing herself to her feet and taking her stance with a wince.

"No." Dee said simply, putting a hand on her hip and cocking her head to the side, no fear or worry in her body language at all. "But I think you need medical assistance."

Lorelei grimaced and spat, seeing that the saliva that flew from her mouth was stained red – before looking up at Dee. "_After_ our match. Now, _attack_!!"

Dee shrugged – before suddenly appearing before Lorelei, going from an easy standing position five feet away to suddenly appear within Lorelei's arms, her hand held out – to flick Lorelei in the head with her forefinger almost causally.

There was no power in the attack – it's not like it would have destroyed rocks and sheer wood – but it was enough to topple Lore once more, the woman blinking as her body suddenly creaked backwards without resistance – to land on the floor with a thump, the limbs and torso meeting with the brain and protesting to this outrageous physical abuse.

The brain half-heartedly realised that there was no stopping Dee, and Lorelei immediately relaxed her stiff muscles, allowing her body to go limp as she spoke up. "You…you never were using your full potential, were you?" She asked slowly, blinking up into the clear blue sky with tears in her eyes.

Dee suddenly appeared in her vision, a happy smile on her face, the trail of blood oozing out of her nose suddenly turning crooked by the lop-sided grin. "Nope!"

Lorelei snorted. "Figures…well, that's it. You've beaten me, Dee. You're officially the leader of the Valkyres. Now, help me into the ship. I can't move my legs." Lorelei paused, frowning slightly. "…Or arms."

*          *            *

Zell had showered, dressed and was currently scratching his head in confusement at the contraption he beheld before him when Dee entered the Immortal's R&D centre excitedly. She looked around hurriedly, her hands trembling slightly as she looked around for Zell…there he was. He was looking at something in his hands…

The thing suddenly went off, a sticky substance spraying from the end of the device and splattering all over two Immortal researchers as they passed Zell. The force of the blast knocked Zell's hand back a little, and made the two ladies stick to the wall as if someone had blasted them with a glue gun.

Zell blinked in surprise, before placing the device down gently and backed away from it…and turned to smile as he saw Dee. "Hey there hon!! You gotta see some of the things in here, they're so cool! I'll never be able to work out how to work them, not in a million ye…"

Zell's words were suddenly cut off as Dee ran up and crash-tackled him to the floor in a big hug, squealing with glee as she did. "I passed, Daddy, I passed and now I get to lead the Valkyres!! Isn't that great?"

Zell was smiling with happiness on the outside as he gently released her grip on him and stood up slowly. "That's cool, hon." _So that's what it's like whenever Rinoa does that to Squall…freaky._ "So, what happened to Lore? Is she alright?"

Dee wiped a bit of blood off her chin and waved him away. "Nah, she'll be alright, she's tougher then she looks."

Zell's grin was wide as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a hanky, holding it to Dee's lip gently. "Obviously…" He said lightly, regarding the bruising that Dee's face was beginning to show.

Dee took the hanky from his hands and held it to her lip, watching as the red stain on it began to grow slowly. "Oh…this…well, I didn't go all out until later…"

Zell laughed out loud and patted her on the shoulder. "It's okay, hon. It's good to let yerself get beat up a bit. It helps to gauge how strong your opponant is, and helps remind you what you're fighting against. But you gotta learn how long to take it before you have to throw down and fight back." He lifted her chin with his finger, looking her face over before nodding, as if checking a piece of fruit. "…you let her go a bit far, hmmm? The ear-pop might've deafened you had you not turned your head slightly to deflect the attack a little. That's what you did, right?"

Dee nodded with a tired sigh. "Yes Daddy. Just like you taught me."

"Good girl. Now come on – Aries is gonna show you something cool."

*          *            *

Aries had watched the entire show with a not so happy look on her face. She sighed audibly and tossed her long blond hair back a little when the smiling father and daughter approached her, her voice pained. "Need I remind you, Zell, that this is a research facility, and therefore also a scientific lab. If you're going to do gymnastics, please keep them outside."

The Dinchts looked at each other meekly, Zell a little more then Dee as he pointed over at the pile of chemicals eating away at the floor with a flurry of Immortals running around it in bio-chem suits, trying to control the acidic combination. Dee frowned. She hadn't done that when she had hugged Daddy…

Aries began to walk through the facility again. The entire place was like something out of a spy movie to Zell – as they walked through all kinds of noises sounded, pops, fizzes, sparks, and several levels of explosions. Immortal women walked everywhere, their stark white robes trailing after themselves as they moved from task to task, some wearing yellow glasses, some wearing rubber gloves, some running for the door in bio-chem suits holding small vats of acidic chemicals which looked like it had been scraped off the floor.

All kinds of different devices and contraptions sat around, just begging to be fiddled and played with, at least in Zell's eyes. This was the Weapon R&D facility too – so all these things were _extra _fun to play with…although Zell could tell why they had never allow him entrance in here until now. _I think they began to regret it when I chewed that bubble gum…I wonder if that dummy has come down yet?_

All around them as Aries picked her way to the Universal Tear part of the floor they were on were feasts for the eyes for the SeeD. Aries finally took them to a table just near the end of the room where numerous Immortals stood around the table, some of them writing in little clip-boards, some tinkering with metallic contraptions. A small group of them stood in the corner of the table, surrounding something like a football scrum diving for the ball.

Aries approached them and cleared her throat softly. If Zell couldn't tell better the girls literally jumped out of the way, one or two bowing/curtsying as they scurried off…to let Aries smile and hold her hand down at the small device lying on the table innocently. "Dee, allow me to introduce you to the Universal Blade."

Aries picked the device up and handed it to the girl, who turned it over in her hand slowly, as if it was made of gold. The thing didn't look anything special – wires and diodes sprang out all over it. It was square, about two inches wide by seven inches long, and had what looked like a small knife-blade dug into the side. Pressing a small button within all the wires made the knife flick out like a switchblade, and Dee looked down at it was a curious smile.

The edge of the blade looked sharp – infinitely sharp. As a matter of fact, Dee couldn't see the edge at all – as the blade's edge tapered off the edge seemed to fuzz, like something out of focus. Dee brought the knife closer to her eye to try and see the edge – before Aries reached out in a hurry to pull her hand down. "You wouldn't want to do that, hon."

"Yeah…" Zell muttered with a sigh, lifting his hand to show the Cure scar that laced across it, before pointing at the table-top and at the slice drawn deep through the metallic surface. "It can cut through just about anything like a LionHeart through wood…"

Dee blinked, before looking down at the blade with wonder, her mouth wide open. "So this is what Trinity has been talking about…" she gasped – before slapping her hand over her mouth.

Aries sighed, rolling her eyes as she closed the blade back into the wire-covered handle carefully and put it back on the table. "Doesn't anyone here know how to keep a secret?" She said with a shake of her head.

Zell was laughing under his breath as Dee looked at him with wide eyes, her hand still over her mouth. He waved his hand at the device on the table. "Go on, Aries. Give her the spiel."

Aries rolled her eyes again with a smile before looking at Dee before looking down at the device. "The Universal Blade has been in production for many years, even before the SeeD's arrival. It was originally within our Reborn facility, designed to find a way to a universe with a male presence to repopulate our planet, but after the Hearts'…rude arrival, it was moved to the Weapons facility. It would be a major tactical advantage within the strategy of any wars we have to fight."

"The Blade, though complex in design, was based on a simple premise. An Immortal with the right combination of nanomachines-enhanced cells within her body can activate the blade and 'cut' a hole within the universal fabric that separates all universes. The blade, as you can see, doesn't have an edge – the edge, in actuality, as a high frequency combination of loose nanomachines and the atoms of a metal that Zell is quite aware of." Aries picked up what looked like a metallic glove – the Orihalcon covering of Zell's Uber-Ehrgiez Gauntlet. The Orihalcon had been the only thing to survive the super-powerful Flare that Azel had blasted Zell's body with – the metal looked a little scorched, but still attained most of it's usual shine.

Zell was peering intently at what looked like a pillow that was lying on the nearest table. His finger was almost touching it when he looked up at his name. "Oh yeah…Orihalcon. That shit is gold, huh?"

Dee remembered the 'metal' that Zell and his team had been wearing when they had come into their universe. Zell had told her all about it – he said it freaked him out a little, that the one called Quistis never knew wether it was alive or not. "What is this stuff?" She asked Aries with a confused frown. "If it can do all of what Daddy says it can do, then how can it do this?"

Aries blinked as a sudden explosion erupted next to them, the smoke clearing to show Zell, finger extended to where he had poked the pillow, his arm and face scorched almost black by the sudden flare. Aries shook her head, almost in disappointment, before looking at Dee as Zell wiped the black stuff off his face, surprised slightly but unhurt. "To tell the truth, the samples we took from Zell's gauntlets haven't given us any clues. It's emitting some kind of radiation we've never seen before, and our scientists has no idea how it's able to meld to any substance it can and still be supple enough to allow total movement. We were able to cut it on an atomic level eventually – it took almost every scientific genius we had to figure out how to. But eventually we were able to cut a small piece off and tune it into the frequency of the nanomachines that run along the edge of the blade. Somehow it's able to do what we couldn't – which was tear through the Universal Fabric."

Dee nodded, watching Zell walk away with his hands in his pockets, whistling nonchalantly. He had obviously heard it all before. She smiled and looked down at the Blade. "So, how does it work?"

Aries smiled, walking over to the other side of the table and grabbing a laptop from one of the scientists before coming back. "This laptop has all the information that Julius Garner was able to accumulate during the SeeD's travels through the universes they visited. It holds everything we would ever need about the Arches and the activation 'magic's' that Rinoa was using to make the Tear to the universe they were going to. Now, we've able to run a synthetic copy of the radiation from the magic's through the Orihalcon using the nanomachines and have been able to make Tears into the universes that Zell has visited."

Zell didn't stray far. Now he was watching two Immortals innocently, his hands stuffed into his pockets as the ladies – eyeing the SeeD curiously – proceeded to close a small handbag and place it on the ground, before backing away slowly. Zell watched them hide behind a large shield before walking forward, crouching down next to the handbag. It didn't look dangerous…

Dee looked down at the laptop with wide eyes. "Are you telling me that we can go and visit Zell's home-universe?! Wow, how exciting!!"

Zell smiled as he looked up at Dee from his examination of the handbag. "That's right, babe. You'll get to meet all of daddy's friends!"

"It's the first priority of the mission to go back to Zell's world and get in contact with his SeeD friends before continuing on to fight the Hearts." Aries said gravely. "It would be best all around, anyways – the SeeDs would need all the help they can get if what Zell told us, and what we saw of him and Azel's fight, were true."

The handbag Zell was examining suddenly opened – and a large white balloon suddenly exploded out, knocking into the SeeD and sending him flying out into the wall – or what he thought was a wall. Flying through the air into another invention the Immortals made, Zell rammed into an invisible web just before hitting the wall, the web making him bounce into it, before bouncing back – but not out. Stuck fast and upside down, Zell sighed audibly as his body wobbled, like a ball thrown into a sticky net. "Fine. I'm not going to touch anything else, as long as someone gets me down."

Dee shook her head with a giggle and looked down at the device, picking it up again. "What it can do sounds cool…but it looks a little…well, naked?" She asked, running her finger over the wires and diodes sticking out of the contraption.

Aries snatched the thing off of Dee's hands and placed it down on the table again. "You'll have to forgive me if it looks a bit ruggish…the outside shielding hasn't been put on yet." She looked down at the thing and sighed again, shaking her head. "It does look a little disappointing, doesn't it…but at least it'll do the job."

A group of Immortals finally lowered Zell to the ground, where he allowed himself to be released before walking back to the ladies, brushing down his coat. "Well girls, waddya say? You reckon we give this puppy a test-spin?"

Both Immortals looked at him dumbly.

Zell rolled his eyes and sighed. "Test it out?"

Aries blinked. "Oh! Of course. Lets…'test this puppy out' then…"

The High Mistress frowned and shook her head as she walked over to the table again and picked up what looked like a great big syringe-gun, the vial within it filled up with a silver liquid. She turned and smiled at Dee. "Well…this may look bad, but I'll assure you it's a painless procedure…relatively."

Dee paled and ducked behind Zell. "Um…does it have to be in a needle? Cant I drink it or eat it or something like that?" She asked, her voice quivering slightly.

Zell laughed, turning and grabbing Dee by the shoulders before picking her up bodily and placed her down in front of him, directly into Aries' sights. "Aw, c'mon Dee – it's only a little prick, and then it's over."

"Easy for you to say, Daddy. You're not about to get stabbed in the neck with an inch of cold stainless steel."

Zell frowned. "In the neck? Ow…that's gonna sting. Ah well, better you then me."

Dee turned then, her eyes wide with shock as she looked up at her father. "Why you heartless…" Was all she got out before Aries pounced, the syringe in her neck, injecting the contents, and whipped out before Dee knew what was happening.

"There, all done." Aries said.

Dee blinked, placing her hand on the site of the injection and bringing it back to look at it. The procedure had been so quick there wasn't even any blood.

Zell laughed, patting his little girl on the shoulder with a big grin on the face. "Ah, the old 'distraction' routine. Usually gets me every time too, hon. Don't feel too bad."

Dee blinked, before turning to Aries. "Now what?"

Aries sighed. "We wait for the nanomachines to hand-shake with your biological makeup, settle in, and re-arrange you synapses to compensate for the information you're about to receive. Just like your Information and History injections, really."

Dee nodded, waiting for the information to come to her. The nanomachines were already worming their ways through her system, flooding her brain, each one tasked with the sole purpose of giving her the information she needed before destroying itself by turning into protein and allowing the body to break it down. Thanks to Dee's genetically increased metabolism and martial arts training, the procedure was done in less then a minute, the blond girl blinking her blue eyes – before looking up. "Okay…I think I'm ready now." She said slowly, the new information blossoming in her mind as if it had been there for all her short life.

Aries handed the girl the Blade now, confident that she had the skill to handle it.

Dee opened the Blade with the flick of a wrist, the Blade jutting out of the handle like every normal switchblade handle, the edge out-of-focus as usual. Raising her hand to dig into the wires and electrodes poking out of the device, Dee found the activation switch and flicked it on.

Almost immediately the blade began to hum, the entire knife beginning to shake and vibrate with energy as the Trilithium batteries hidden deep within the handle (guaranteed to outlast your Immortal life or your money back!!) made the nanomachines leap and bound with the atoms of the Orihalcon. Almost as soon as the humming began the blade began to vibrate even wilder, before the whole thing became out of focus – except for the tip. Now activated and aggravated by the nanomachines, the Orihalcon began to shine – like a bright line of light along an out-of-focus knife-blade.

Holding the knife up high, Dee took a deep breath – before slashing it down, the knife making a quick _swish_ noise like most knives did when swung through the air at such speed – and looked up in utter amazement.

The air that she had cut was suddenly split open, like a piece of loose cloth that had a long tear through it. Beyond the Universal Tear were trees, grass, and the smell of burgers wafting through the breeze. The sounds of birds chirping and children laughing in the distance wafted through as well. It was a stark contrast to the bleak and futuristic background of the Immortal Weaponry R&D facility.

Zell blinked, his shock over-come as he closed his eyes and sniffed, the smell coming through the Tear setting off several alarms in his mind – primarily the ones regarding his stomach. "T-Burgers…Balamb Red-Woods…home!!" Something snapped in his mind and Zell ran forward, nudging Dee aside to jump through the tear and into his home world.

*          *            *

Zell hadn't jumped through, to be exact – he had leapt, like a man leaping for a life-line of a rope tied to a speeding Garden Car as the bomb behind him was seconds from detonation. He came up in a roll – to look about himself, the long grassy fields of the Alcauld Plains surrounded him. To his left was the Alcauld Forest, home of some fantastic wildlife and monsters – to his right was the gigantic crater made by the missiles as they had narrowly missed Balamb Garden during it's miraculous escape all those years ago. And also, in the far distance, Zell could see the smoke rising from the chimneys of Balamb, his home.

Zell had to bit back the tears as he sank to his knees, sensing other people coming through the Tear as he placed his bare hands onto the grass and felt it's rich texture, his skin growing goose-pimples as a soft breeze blew in from the north Albatross Archipelago.

Aries' words were full of wonder as she looked about herself, her hands raise to her mouth as she spoke, tears coming out of her eyes almost as fast as Zell's. "This is your home world…your words did it no justice, Zell, no justice at all…"

Dee walked forward in awe too, flanked by three Immortals as they passed through too, and looked up at the gigantic mountain before her. "My gods…" she whispered, looking over at the forest too, the trees infinitely smaller then the ones in the Immortal World, framed by the clear blue sky and the warm sun glowing down happily on them. "It's so beautiful..."

Zell looked up at the people cooking on the beach, not half a kilometre away. He could see who they were – the guy who ran the Weapon store, the owner of the Balamb Hotel ('where the sea breeze will blow you away'), the old lady who lived next door – and Ma.

Zell blinked, standing slowly, only barely able to hold himself back as his SeeD-trained eyesight drank in her every detail. She was moving slowly, her skin a pale pallor like nothing Zell had ever seen. She sat by herself as everybody else laughed and was merry, looking out at the ocean from her seat on a blanket, only looking up every now and then to say something quietly before resuming her ocean-gazing.

She…she must think I'm dead, huh? I mean…it's been a month. I had no way to get back, even if I survived, which seemed impossible to Squall and the others, obviously. They had been hit hard too, according to the video-feed I had seen – but they were prepared for the eventuality, they were soldiers – not like Ma. Ma has always expected me home, even with the Sorceress Quest.

The shock must've been unbearable for her, Zell realised. She must still be grieving his death – his true death.

He remembered all the off-hand remarks that he had said about his 'deaths' over the pass, laughing it of with her and Angel as they had sipped soda and regaled the 'good old days' – when the enemy was Ultimecia and Squall had led them to victory against. Zell made a solum vow, there and then, to never joke about Life magic ever again.

He made to move forward, to walk up to her and hug her with all his strength – before a hand placed itself gently on his shoulder, making him look up – at Aries. "Zell…we have to go. There's not much time left." She said, beckoning to the Tear. Slowly it was beginning to close itself, the rip in the space/time continuum beginning to repair itself slowly. "If we are trapped here, we will not be able to get back. "Aries explained. "Julius wasn't able to get the address to our world, remember?"

Zell bit his bottom lip, his tears spilling to his cheeks as he looked back at her. "She looks so sad, Aries…so damned sad…"

"You'll be seeing her real soon – I promise."

Zell nodded – before turning and walking up to the Tear, allowing the ladies to go through first before he stepped in, his body half in and half out – and turned to speak softly into the wind.

"I'll be back soon, Ma. You just wait 'n see."

…before he stepped straight through the Tear, back into the Immortal world, the sterile interior of the facility nothing compared to the world behind them being shut out.

*          *            *

Staring into the ocean dully, her mind wandering, Ma Dincht blinked as she thought she heard something, turning to look out over the empty plains to the gigantic mountain, as the wind seemed to pick up the words and toss them in her direction.

_"…be back…wait n see…"_

Ma had no idea how. She had no idea why. But she simply _knew._

For the first time in almost a month, Ma Dincht smiled, before looking back out at the ocean, her grin growing as the words reverberated in her mind. "I'll be ready, cup-cake…you just wait n see."

*          *            *

_Wow!! There you go!!_

_Um…if anybody has any queries or concerns regarding the idea of using an Orihalcon-charged blade to cut hole through Universes and jumping through them…kiss my ass. You try to figure out a way for Zell and Dee to carrying around with them Universal-Transportation devices without looking conspicuous._

_Also, did you like the whole 'James Bond' bit? I got to admit, Q had to be the best addition to the Bond lineage I have ever seen…especially GoldenEye. I loved the bit where the dude walks into the telephone booth, only to be pressed against the wall by an inflatable balloon within the booth. Gold._

_Oh, and BTW – this chapter will send Twist In Time clear out of Tournament's range in word-numbers. This is the biggest story I have ever written!! BOOYAAAAA!!! I just needed to tell you that again!!_


	24. Misunderstandings To Return

Ch 24 – Misunderstandings To Returns

Zell opened his eyes slowly; his body entangled between the bed sheets seeming to lose more tension then gain it as it slipped from the subtle emptiness of sleep into stark reality.

_Am I really home?_ He thought to himself, not wanting to move in case it was still a dream. _Did we pass through the Tear yet? Have I seen Ma – or Angel – yet?_

Darkness surrounded him, the veils of the curtains covering the windows to his immediate left only allowing a small fraction of light into the room. Zell continued to stare up at the ceiling, only daring to move his right arm slightly. It was beginning to go numb from the position he had slept in. His eyes searched the ceiling for anything remotely recognisable, narrowing them slightly as he heard a noise from outside the room.

That has to be Ma. Any second now she'll be busting in here telling me to get my lazy ass up and tidy the living room for the guests that will be arriving soon. She'll talk my ear off about how much I sleep and that if I wanted to sleep in late that I should have stayed at Garden and that if I did stay at Garden she might have gotten a moments peace for once in a while…

The door of the room opened, light spilling onto the carpet as a slim body cast it's shadow over the bed. "Daddy?" Dee called quietly, peeking into the room shyly. "Are you up?"

Zell's dreams came crashing down around him. No Ma. No Angel. Still within the confines of the Immortal realm. Still trapped…

A broad smile etched itself across the SeeD's face. _Not for long._

Zell sat up suddenly, making Dee jump slightly. "Hey there hon. What's going on?"

Dee opened the door fully now and walked in, confident that he had been awake for quite some time. She was still dressed in the singlet and panties that she wore for sleep, and her blond hair was undone and ruffled untidily. The two of them had gotten used to each other's company in the short time they had been together – when Dee had walked around in this manner before Zell had felt a little self-conscious – now he was simply used to it. Moving over to the window she pressed a small button on a keypad next to it, the drapes opening themselves slowly and allowing the light to seep into every dark corner of the room. Dee turned to Zell with a large smile, her big blue eyes twinkling. "We're going to have my Valkyre coronation – and then we're setting out."

Zell nodded. "Are you excited?"

Dee nodded slightly, perfectly composed – before letting go of any pretence, running over and jumping onto the bed excitedly. "Oh Daddy I'm so excited!! They say that nobody has beaten Miss Lorelei in over three thousand years!! And then we're going to that heaven you call home!! I cant wait for either of them!! I haven't slept a wink all night, I'm so excited…"

Zell blinked. Dee was talking fast, faster then he had heard her talk before. Her eyes were wide and staring off into space as she clasped her hands to her chest, excitement evident in every motion of her body. _Hyne…she's so like Selphie sometimes…_Zell thought to himself. _Always letting her emotion get the better of her._

He reached out and placed his hand on her bare shoulder, squeezing it firmly. "Hey! Gaia to Dee! Calm down a bit or you'll never be able to figure yerself out, m'kay?"

Dee blinked, her voice rattling to a stop – before she looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry Daddy…"

"That's okay, baby. You just got a bit of trouble controlling your emotions, that's all. Much like me, in fact…"

Dee giggled at that. Zell smiled and threw the sheets off his body, standing up from the bed clad in his trunks. "Okay hon. We'd better get ready – today is going to be a big day."

*          *            *

Zell didn't know if he could feel any prouder. The smile on his face was beginning to hurt, and it was all he could do to stop from jumping up and down in joy.

Within the centre of the city stood almost every single Immortal there was – a swarm of white robes covered the entire ground, flattening the grass with their sandaled feet as they witnessed something that had been something of a rarity within the last few years – _something different happening._

A stage had been erected just outside the City Centre, the stage large enough to hold all fifty-eight of the Valkyre warrior-women. As with much of the architecture of the Immortals, the stage was largely feminine in design – large white drapes flowered out of long pillars that flanked the left and right sides of the stage, flowing down to the grassy ground like silk waterfalls. Also usual in the landscapes of the city, several leafy statues made out of delicately carves trees and bushes, mostly depicting women in all shapes and sizes.

The Immortals milling around the stage were excited. The last major calling like this had been when the monster problem had become out of control and the Mistresses of the city had called all the Immortals together to ask for any fighting assistance. That had been centuries ago, and even though the occasional holiday festivals were held every now and then, it had been many, many lifetimes since all Immortals had been drawn together. Something important was about to happen – and it was something that couldn't be missed.

Zell was dressed in his best tailor-made suit, the black silk seeming to shine even more when he moved then when he stood still. Dee had said that he had looked handsome in the suit, even thought she had no real meaning of the word. She had actually said 'beautiful' – "Oh my Gods, you look beautiful Daddy!!" – which had made him laugh and correct her. The suit was almost like his SeeD uniform – except the shoulder pads were a bit softer and his boots fit a tad more snugly. 

On his hands Zell wore his Uber Ehrgiez Gauntlets, buffed to a sparkling shine the night before. Although the attack Azel had performed on Zell's body had completely disintegrated his body, the Orihalcon and Adamantine metal had held throughout the very brief Flare rather well. Zell had been rather hesitant to put them on – the fact that the Immortals had taken most of the DNA to recreate him from his smouldering hands, burnt off at the wrist but still mostly protected within the snug confines of the armoured gauntlets, wigged him out a little. But after performing a few exercises in them, he forgot that he had ever taken them off.

Dee was extremely jealous of the gauntlets. As soon as she had seen them she had immediately wanted a pair for herself – but Zell was no metallurgist, and the weapon-makers of the Immortal Universe had long forgotten how to make something as primitive as gauntlets.

Zell watched Dee now as she eyed the gauntlets sullenly and smiled. "I told you, hon, I'll get a pair made for you when we get back to Gaia! Now smile – all those people are out there for you!"

Dee forced a smile, brushing down her official robes. Even thought the Valkyres Mistress gown had been tailor made for her the night before, it still felt weird to wear. Much like Zell, Dee was more comfortable in more casual clothing, much preferring the pants and tee-shirt combo that had become rife since the SeeDs had shown up. Many a tailor had seen Emily and Trish wandering the city streets in their long pants, and had taken an inspirational turn towards pants as opposed to the robes and skirts that had become rife in the past few millennia.

Dee had many of the new garments, wanting to copy her father as much as humanly possible – but today she was forced to wear her graduation robes, and so she stood, like a child in her uncomfortable Sunday-school dress, almost begging for it to be over and done with so she could go and play.

Aries walked up onto the stage from the backdrop, moving around the giant black curtain and moving over to the father and daughter, approaching Dee and taking hold of her hands. "Are you ready, dear?"

Dee nodded meekly, looking a little nervous. "I'm ready…" she said quietly.

Aries gave her a warm smile, squeezing her hands reassuringly, before winking to Zell and walking out onto the stage, in front of thousands of thousands of women. As soon as the High Mistress came onto the stage the women rose and cheered as one, the cries of the Immortals rising up past the towering skyscrapers and beyond into the heavens.

Zell shook his head with a smile, chuckling to himself. "Never thought of Aries as a show-boater…" He said to Dee, elbowing her in the ribs playfully with a wink.

Dee said nothing – she simply stared out at the crowds with her mouth gaping, dumbstruck beyond words. A sea of arms and heads, smiling happy faces, so many differences in looks and appearances. Dee had no idea how Aries could stand being before all these people, their eyes locked onto her as if enraptured by her brilliance.

Aries walked up to the small glass podium, her white robes fluttering off her elegant body in the warm breeze as she raised her arms with a broad smile, silencing the cheers and wolf-whistles. 

"Ladies…" Aries cried, her voice seeming to increase several times in volume, even thought Zell couldn't see an obvious microphone on the podium. "Yesterday a girl from amongst you did what no one has been able to do in over three thousands years – she has made a _change_ in the way of the Valkyres!"

At the word 'change' an almighty gasp echoed from around the crowd.

Aries continued, a large grin growing on her lips as she spoke. "As you well know, there have been many changes within the Immortal lifestyle – our fashions are becoming more refined, our musical culture has begun to take a turn for the better – finally – and we have begun to finally understand the mysteries surrounding some of our more difficult questions in our attempts to save our species from extinction!"  
The crowd stood enraptured, some women holding onto each other with baited breath, some simply having to sit down to take it all in.

"In a short while two people – and Immortal and a foreigner – will be leaving our world in order to save it from an immense evil! I'm sure you've all seen the strange things happening around and outside the city in the past month and a half…"

The women murmured to each other in agreement. Gigantic flying tree-trunks sailing over the city, a strange broad shouldered, flat-chested, strangely spiky hair-styled lady running about the city bathed in red fire – and of course, the rumours of a universal device that can transport people to the Heavens, when the sun always shines and the grass is always green.

"…But now that will all come out into the open. Immortals, I'd like to introduce Dee Dincht, the new leader of the Valkyres, and Zell Dincht, the male fighter from the Universe Gaia!"

*          *            *

Zell and Dee gulped simultaneously. Both of them had expected to go out and face the crowd – but to tell the truth, they had been quietly hoping that it wouldn't have come to that.

Dee turned on her heel and began to make a beeline for the exit at the back of the stage – before Zell gripped one of the trailing silk robes hanging off her and pulled her back to stand next to him, his teeth gritted nervously as he talked. "If I'm going out, then you're coming with me, got that?"

"H-How about I don't and say I did?"

Zell rolled his eyes and dragged her out in front of the crowd with him, the two warriors moving out from behind the curtain to be shocked…at the same look replicated perfectly on every head in the sea of faces.

Awe.

Dee smirked up at her father, who had a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek. Every single eye was on him, every woman in the entire area gazing upon his body like a freak in some freak show. _Well, _Dee guiltily thought with a little relief, _At least they're not paying attention to me._

Aries faltered slightly. She had thought that, with the recent sightings of Zell around the area and the average intelligence of your usual Immortal, the idea of a Man being introduced to the population would have been a little less…awkward.

Zell didn't really know what to do. He had been gawked at before, at the Tournament, and during missions and at Garden during some training manoeuvres way out of everybody else's league – but to be ogled at by the biggest number of women Zell had ever seen collected in one place…well…that was completely random.

Well…may as well get it over with.

Zell stepped up to the podium, brushing past Aries with a wink and a smile that perfectly covered his stage-fright and, placing both hands on the side of the podium, spoke in a clear, firm voice: "Yo peeps! What's up?!"

Silence.

More then silence. You could hear the roar of the silence as it entered your ears and was processed into the brain by the follicles lining the eardrum.

Someone coughed. It echoed. For about thirty seconds.

Aries stepped forward, placing a hand on Zell's shoulder and leading him away from the podium slowly. "Maybe you ought to go before something happens…"

"What? What did I say?" Zell said innocently, looking from the embarrassed Dee to the uncomfortable Aries. He honestly had no idea what he had done wrong.

"Uh…Daddy…" Dee said, pointing over Zell's shoulder with a trembling finger.

Zell turned – to see over a thousand women suddenly charge forward as one, all of them fighting for a piece of the new male that had been introduced to their world without their knowledge, hidden from them like a some kind of government conspiracy.

Two words entered Zell's mind. He thought they were very appropriate, judging by the situation.

_"Oh shit!!"_ He screamed as he turned, picking both Dee and Aries up in both arms, and ran as fast as he could…

_…into _the crowd.

*          *            *

The edge of the stage was overrun in less then a minute, but by then Zell had grabbed the girls, throwing one over each shoulder, and had ran forward, _leaping off the stage_ and falling amongst the crowd, landing in a run and bolting through the gathering.

He was only taking a leaf out of the SeeD handbook, Chapter 12 verse 3.4 – Massive Encounters: _in event of encountering large groups of people/monsters, the best and safest place is _within_ the group._

It made sense, at least when Zell had read it. He had only ever flipped through the handbook once or twice – if it wasn't about fighting, then it slightly bored him. If you are up against a large group of opponents, the best place is within them. They cannot get to you, as you are flitting in and out of their friend's marks – and you can do maximum damage when you're that close.

Of course, Zell wasn't out to hurt any of the Immortals…disarm, maybe, but hurt – never.

He ducked and swerved, jumping and flipping, each manoeuvre only barely missing a dive by a women in fluttering robes or a grab of a carefully manicured hand. Amazingly, Zell was having a hard time, too. He had never been within this big of a congested group of enemies before, and although he was doing okay now, he wasn't so sure if he could make it out. He hadn't thought that far.

Ducking as a women sailed over his head, Zell flipped to the left as two girls tried for a pincer attack, their head smashing into each other as they collided together, knocking each other out. Spinning on his heel, Zell slashed out with his foot, narrowly missing an Immortal's head by mere inches and forcing them back, giving him a little room to breath as they ran back slightly, Zell amazed to see some cowering in fear.

He heard someone clear their throat over the din of the screeching masses, and Zell sacrificed a second to look over at his left shoulder – to see Aries, her carefully done hair now in a mess from Zell's acrobatics, still slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Excuse me, Zell – _but put me down this instance!!!_" She screeched.

She obviously wasn't happy with the results of the gathering.

Stepping back lightly as another woman tried for a desperate lunge, Zell suddenly found himself surrounded by women as he jumped back into a group who had been awaiting him – and shrugged Aries off his shoulder and into the women easily, the High Mistress falling onto the seven-strong girls, her sudden weight making them fall to the floor in shock.

Zell span, now with only Dee on his right shoulder quietly enjoying her ride, and got started. Spinning swiftly, Zell lifted Dee up and off his shoulder, grasping her hand and swinging her out around his body, the girl clutching his hands firmly as she used the swinging momentum to flick around his body to finally land behind him, her fists balled, her attitude ready for action.

The Immortals had fallen back for a second, astounded to see a women siding with this _male_ – and Dee shot a look over at Zell, her beautiful face grim. "What do you want to do, Daddy?" She asked, eyeing her race cautiously as they began to almost circle the two Dincht's, like a mob of lions circling the kill.

Zell was panting heavily, having to carry both Dee and Aries out of harms way for so long whilst also having to perform feats of acrobatic skill he hadn't needed to tap since fighting Azel – whilst not hurting a soul…intentionally. Now his mind was clicking into overdrive, the cogs and wheels churning in his mind as he looked around desperately. "I'd like to preserve life if I can, hon. These girls don't know what they're doing."

"Well, if we don't do something, they're going to lynch you, Daddy…and most likely me and Aries too."

_Of course._ Zell thought. _These girls must think that Aries has been holding out on them. She mustn't have told the general population yet – there must be Immortals gathered from all over the world here. Well…if I cant hurt them, then a little floor-show is in order…_

Zell looked over his shoulder at Aries. "Sorry Aries – but I gotta do something that you're not going to like." Zell then turned to Dee. "Hon – remember the magic Shell techniques I've been teaching you? Well – they're about to come in handy."

Aries and Dee both blinked as Zell suddenly lifted his hands up into the sky, a number of green balls with fire burning within them twirling around his body for a second – before he vanished in a puff of logic.

And a guttural snarl seemed to fill the immense courtyard from the grassy ground as the temperature suddenly rose a few degrees…before rising a few more…before suddenly escalating at a fantastic rate.

*          *            *

The Immortal women suddenly paused. They had no idea where the man had disappeared to – was this some kind of power men had? To disappear into thin air at a moments notice? If so, it explained how the males had managed to be in control of the women for so long…

And why had the temperature risen so suddenly? What was the noise just now? And why was the ground trembling so…

A great knarled hand, thick tanned hide covering the knobbly knuckles and taloned fingers, suddenly smashed out from the ground, a great explosion of dirt and grass flying into the air  - before the air suddenly became thick with heat, the grass and dirt flying through the air suddenly bursting into flame.

Dee looked up and watched, shocked and horrified, as the knarled hand suddenly stabbed itself into the ground for purchase, the grass surrounding the hand bursting into flame as well – before, with a great growling grown, the Fire-Demon Ifrit pulled itself from the bowls of the Immortal World, black dirt and grass spilling off it's heavily muscled shoulders as the ground around it billowed up in a fiery display. The demon shook it's head to rid itself of the dirt on it's mane, like a cat ridding itself of moisture – before looking out at the crowd and, opening it's gaping maw filled with gigantic elongated teeth, let forth an almighty roar, the Guardian Force's breath coming out like small puffs of fire as the roar reached the lengths of the entire city, shattering glass windows, shaking buildings on their foundations, and making the Immortal mob shriek in absolute _fear_.

As soon as the hand had punched through the ground the mob had began to disperse as quickly as it could, women running for cover immediately as the massive creature had pulled itself from the depths of the globe. Now the gigantic demon had lifted itself from its crack in the ground, the fleeing women disappearing like wood-smoke in a breeze. Only a few remained, some so scared they couldn't move their legs – others so terrified they had simply fainted, their brains taking one look at the goliath monster and switching off instantly.

Only Dee was one of the few with limb movement and the power of speech – and it wasn't helping her at the least. Her knees knocked together in sheer terror and she gibbered like a three-year-old come face-to-face with the bogeyman as Ifrit turned to her, looking down at her with utter contempt in it's glowing yellow eyes – before bending down and roaring at her, the super-hot breath of the demi-god blasting her robes and hair back and causing her to scream in sheer terror…

Dee suddenly steeling herself. "No use crying!!" She yelled, shaking her head to clear any cobwebs and taking her stance. "I've got to stop it!!"

Ifrit had now straighten up, it's terrorising over – and looked up at the sky, before leaning down and _springing up into the air_, leaping up high into the sky.

Dee blinked, watching the massive creature fly up into the sky. "Oh, you've got to be kidding…" She gasped to herself. _The thing must weight tonnes!! It must be incredibly strong to leap that high!!_

Ifrit had flown up into the air and was now about to launch its final attack, to wipe out any remaining threats to the human it had vowed to protect. Drawing the gigantic ball of fire was easy – the ball simply appeared in mid-air before the Fire-Demon, almost twice the size of the massive creature – before Ifrit flew _higher_ then the ball of fire and, interlocking it's fingers together in the perfect spike manoeuvre, _smashed_ it's fists into the ball, an explosion rocking the ground – and sending the ball hurtling for Dee.

"Ah crap." Dee muttered as several thousand degrees of flaming death bore down on her with the speed of a high-velocity meteor…

Shell techniques… 

Dee blinked as what Zell said to her before he disappeared suddenly clicked, everything falling into place within her mind. Not wanting to waste any time, Dee threw her hands up into the air, drawing on the little magic Zell had sent her and screaming the activation word at the ball as it began to burn away her fringe. _"Shell!!"_

The red bubble formed around her body effortlessly, flashing briefly – before the ball slammed into it, the red Shell barely holding together as the sheer power of the magic/physical attack began to push at the magical barrier, Dee's feet suddenly digging into the soft earth as the weight of the magic bore down onto her.

Dee kept her hands up, however, palms up and straight out in a pushing motion, her shoulder muscles and chest muscles bunching together in unison as the GF snorted fire – and pulsed more power into the attack, the ball of fire suddenly _doubling in size_ and dwarfing Dee entirely, the heat beginning to become almost unbearable.

Sweat had gone beyond trickling down her face – it simply evaporated as soon as it exited her pores, steam rising off her body as she continued to fight against the GF's attack with all the magical power she could muster.

Dee was at a disadvantage, however. What little magic Dee knew and had stocked was beginning to disappear away rapidly, the red Shell beginning to shimmering and shine slightly as the fireball began to push down, making the bubble _bend inwards towards Dee_, the heat beginning to become almost unbearable as Dee looked up, through the fire and at the massive GF as it snarled and pulsed _more energy _into the blast…

Suddenly Dee shivered, her head feeling like someone had unwound her brains and spooled them neatly into her head once more. She blinked her blue eyes once, twice, the thing within her head worming it's way into her mind as she unconsciously focused all her concentration on the monster's massive claws…

…Which looked like the fragments of Bombs.

A massive crater suddenly exploded out from around Dee as she screamed, the power locked away within her mind suddenly exploding forth with frightening speed and extraordinary power – and causing her eyes to suddenly blaze a fiery blue, the glowing Blue magic suddenly slashing out of her body and enveloping her body and every other body in the courtyard…

…before the fireball finally slammed into the ground and detonated, blasting the courtyard into chunky atomic particles.

*          *            *

Zell reappeared slowly a few feet off the ground in the centre of what had been the courtyard, landing on the floor with a small thud. His feet cracked into the glass covering the ground – the heat had been so intense it had melted the dirt, turning it into red-hot glass.

The smell of burnt dirt and grass filled the air, and as Zell took in his bearings he scratched the back of his neck slightly. "Yeesh…maybe you ought to go a little easy next time, Ifrit?" He muttered out loud.

If you had wanted me to 'go easy', human, you would have told me before-hand. The demi-god muttered hotly, Zell's brain warming a little.

"Well, yeah, but…shit. I guess I gotta give that one to you…"

There was a short paused, Zell still knowing that Ifrit was about to speak from the warmth at the base of his brain. _No one was hurt._

Zell blinked, looking around himself. The windows of the nearby towers had been shattered, the courtyard looked like a Galbadian rocket had hit it. Smoke wafted up from what had been several leaf-statues, and what little stone pathways had been thoroughly destroyed then melted back into molten rock. "Uh…you wanna run that past me again, Ifrit? How could you do all this damage and not hurt anyone?"

Ifrit's voice was full of a warm contempt. _You're offspring saved them…using a Blue._

Zell's eyes widened. "A…Blue? You mean Blue magic?"

Correct. My talons are actually Bomb Fragments – she must have seen them and unlocked her hidden talent.

"Cool!! My little girl kicks ass!!"

Ifrit didn't answer, and the warmth radiating within the back of Zell's skull receded to nothingness.

Zell's initial excitement was thoroughly squashed, however, as the full realisation of his actions finally hit him. "Shit…" He gasped, looking around him. "…If the Immortals didn't hate me before, they're really going to hate me now!!"

"Don't be so sure." Aries called, walking out from behind what was left of the stage. Zell turned to see her walk out, his clothes a little scorched by looking no worse for wear. "My my…you're people are just full of surprises. Why didn't you ever tell me you could summon creatures, Zell?"

Zell blinked. If anything, Aries seemed relieved. "Uh…well, you never asked! Um…are you okay?"

Dee walked out from behind the stage too, as well as several other Immortals. "We're fine, Daddy." Dee called, running forward excitedly. "What kind of magic was that called?! Can you teach me?! Ooo, you'll never believe what I just did, it was so incredible!!"

Dee was in overdrive, and Zell looked down at her, feeling extraordinarily alleviated that she was still alive – and barely had a scratch on her! "Hon…what did you do?!" He muttered, looking down at her with amazement. "Ifrit is a low-level GF, but judging by the power of his attack he gave it his all at you! And you're…you're…"

Dee punched him lightly in the shoulder. "I'm fine Daddy! In fact, watch this!"

Dee blinked one second, the bright blue iris, the dark pupil and the whites of her eyes being replaced with a dark glowing blue – before she smiled at him. "Go ahead! Attack!!"

Zell narrowed his eyes, seeing where this was going – before pushing his hand out, the palm bursting into flame as the Firaga left his fingertips and travelled the short distance in less then a nanosecond – to explode three feet away from Dee's body harmlessly, the flames dissipating – over a transparent shield, the orb surrounding Dee flashing briefly as the magic was nullified instantly before becoming invisible again.

Dee was grinning idiotically – before blinking, the blue glow fading from her eyes as her legs buckled under her weight and made her fall on her ass into the thin glass covering the ground. She blinked woozily, reaching up with a hand to rub her forehead. "Wow…why do I feel tired all of a sudden?" She muttered, confused.

Zell couldn't help but chuckle. "You've just unlocked a Blue, hon – it's a special kind of magic only special people can learn. And you're is very powerful if it can stand up against a GF's attack like it did. I've never seen a Barrier that can withstand such power." He leaned down and picked the girl up, draping her arm over his shoulder and letting her lean on him as he stood. "But it's very tiring using Blues…you'll just have to get used to the power." 

Dee nodded slightly, leaning into Zell's steady frame, wanting to fall asleep. He couldn't help but grin. _She's amazing…just learnt the thing, and she was able to Multi-Cast it too…maybe it's a Limit Break?_

Aries cleared her throat, making Zell lose his train of thought and turn, smiling a little awkwardly. "Uh…sorry?"

"Sorry isn't exactly going to make do for this kind of property damage, Zell…but I acknowledge your use of power. If you hadn't, my people would have lynched us…" She sighed, looking down at the glass-covered ground. "Maybe we simply aren't ready for male introductions just yet. We're going to have to start teaching the women all about the male's again…"

Zell looked around, watching as small groups of women began to walk out from where they had taken cover, looking at the destruction around them in awe. None of them advanced on Zell – they were too preoccupied with the change of scenery. "Um, Aries, if it's alright with you, I think I'd be best if Dee and me made tracks."

Aries frowned – before putting two and two together. "Oh, yes…you wish to leave now. I suppose that would be best – if the girls ever regain their wits from that display they'll be after you in gusto. Well, let's get to the labs. Your equipment is all prepared there."

*          *            *

Dee stepped out of the adjacent bathroom in the labs, grateful to be out of the long ceremonial robes and now into something a little more snug. Tight leather pants adorned her legs with a small SeeD webbing belt holding it up – the belt had been something Zell had whipped together in his spare time. She wore a white silk blouse with a dark blue jacket over it, and had small leather gloves strapped snugly to her fists, matching her black SeeD boots – guaranteed to make you think you weren't wearing shoes at all.

Zell had changed out of his official clothing into his other clothes – a brown shirt and loose denim jeans over his boots, the Uber Ehrgiez Gauntlets still adorning his fists. The Immortals had, thankfully, made a few adjustments he had been pining to do since the end of the Tournament – namely putting in a built-in SeeD microphone into the wrist-guard on the left gauntlet, adjusting the red one so it fit a bit more snugly, as well as several other gadgets the Immortals had thrown in for the hell of it.

Aries was showing him them as Dee went over the Tear procedure with the newly-healed Lorelei, who had been chuffed to have missed the ceremony. Aries and Zell watched, bemused, as Dee showed Lorelei her new Blue magic once more – before Aries took hold of Zell's hand once more. "Okay, I'm going to go through them all once more, alright?"

Zell nodded. "Yeah, okay."

"Please try to remember all of this, some of these additions might save your life."

"Okay, okay, I will alright? Just…refresh my memory once more, please?"

Aries rolled her eyes before lifting Zell's hand, clad in the metallic gauntlet. Formerly, the silver gauntlet had had the Ehrgiez logo on the back of the hand. Now, the area reflected the light slightly, as if a sheet of plastic had been placed over the logo. "This area," Aries stated once more, gesturing to the plastic square, "Is the new screen we've added to your right gauntlet. If you hold your palm over an object and press this button, you can either take a picture, magnify the image to up to molecular sizes, and scan the object for just about anything you can think of." She turned the gauntlet over to show the tiny round dot right in the middle of the palm. "Now, we've considered the abuse the gauntlets will take once you leave our universe, so don't worry. Everything has been previously tested to withstand pressures and temperatures that could liquefy anything in it's range without any resistance – the additions can withstand a little more then those limits, so I think they'll be alright."

Zell considered wether the new gadgets could withstand a Meltdown or a Flare, but decided against asking. Instead he smiled, nodding. "Cool. I think Quistis will love these things." He lifted his red one. "And there was something you put in this one too?"

Aries rolled her eyes. "I told you this barely a minute ago, Zell!!" She huffed angrily, before grabbing the red gauntlet and roughly pulling it to point at the wrist-area of the gauntlet. "When you jerk your hand back to ninety degrees it will activate the magnets embedded just beneath the metal guarding the underneath your fingers and palm. Anything metallic within two feet that's not bolted to the floor will instantly fly into your grasp – so I hope you've got good reflexes."

Zell smirked, nodding slowly – before jerking his hand back. Instantly his belt buckle ripped off his jeans and into his palm – as well the screws holding the table next to them together, the earrings off Aries' ears, and Zell's keys (also recreated by the Immortals), which flew out of his pocket and into his hand. "Sweet…" Zell said with a huge grin as he let his hand fall forward, the magnets deactivating and letting the items fall loose into his hands.

Aries rolled her eyes and snatched her earrings out of his grasp. Thankfully they had only been clip-ons. "Sometimes I wonder how we put up with you, Zell…" Aries muttered. "I'm beginning to see why men were so annoying to begin with."

Zell shrugged, placing his keys in his pocket as he threaded his belt into his pants once more. "There's a saying in my Universe…'boys with toys'…I cant think of the rest."

Aries rolled her eyes again. "I think I understand." She turned to Dee, who approached them slowly. "Well my dear, are you ready?"

Dee bit her bottom lip hesitantly, grasping the Universal Blade in his gloved hand. Her pack was on her back, her laptop strapped to her side plugged into the Blade and ready for anything. She paused, however. "Mistress…I just realised something."

Zell frowned. "What is it, hon?"

"It's the Blade…it can only record the Address of the Universe we're going to."

Zell looked from Aries to Dee with a confused look on his face. "Um…we know that. That's why we have the Addresses already in the laptop, right? We're need to go back to Gaia. There's no point in recording the address if we're going to one we already know."

It hit him suddenly, his mind replaying the words Aries had said to him as he had fallen to the Alcauld grass only yesterday. __

"Julius wasn't able to get the address to our world, remember?" 

Zell looked to Dee, who continued to look at the Blade in her now trembling hands. Her eyes were wide, and she looked like she was about to cry. _Is she…having second thoughts?_

Dee continued to stare at the device in her hands as she spoke, her voice cracking as she spoke. "I'll…never see you again, Mistress…there was no point in me becoming leader of the Valkyres, 'coz I'll never be able to come back and lead them…"

Aries stepped forward with a shuddering sigh, embracing the girl tightly to her to stop her from seeing her own grief. "Oh Dee…it's normal to feel frightened about it. But believe me…it's for the greater good. You're the saviour of the Immortals now, our Universal Protector. And only our elite can be awarded…and cursed…with that job."

Dee sniffed, fighting the tears that were threatening to roll down her cheeks. She remembered what Zell had said that very morning, how she was always over-emotional. It made her feel embarrassed, and she pulled away from Aries' hug slowly, wiping her eyes, looking up with determination etched onto her face. "…Of course, Mistress. I will protect our world from our aggressors, no matter the cost."

"Spoken like a true heroine…" Lorelei said softly.

Zell nodded slowly, agreeing with the Valkyre completely.

Dee released a heavy breath before looking over to Zell. "You ready?"

Zell smiled at her determination. "Ready and waiting, hon."

Dee bit her bottom lip – before nodding precisely. "Then lets get going."

*          *            *

The Alcauld Plains were empty this time, devoid of life except for the trees in the distance, the grass wafting in the afternoon breeze, and the smell of the ocean. Unlike before there were no monsters meandering their ways around the plains, no people out having a picnic – no witnesses to see the edge of a blade suddenly appear before slashing straight down and creating what looked like a slice through the air, the image within the slash being one of difference, aliened, strange.

Dee and Zell stepped through the portal wearily, the warmth of the hugs and pats on the back still with them as Dee turned to the Tear slowly, taking one last look at her world as the portal began to close up on itself.

Aries stood just before the Tear, smiling as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Remember Dee," She called. "You must be strong for us. Show these Universes that the Immortals will not lie down and allow themselves to be trampled. Show them the compassion that we try to give. Show them the love that exists in you. And remember that we'll never forget you."

The two edges of the Tear finally met together, the invisible edges slowly closing on Aries' face, before blinking out altogether, showing nothing but long grassy plains and wide open spaces.

Dee sniffed audibly as she stood there, the Blade still open and humming in her hand, staring at the space where Aries' had been. Her mentor, teacher and surrogate mother was now gone, possibly forever. Dee's hand tightened on the Blade's grip slightly. "I promise to find a way back, Mistress…to tell you of the sights I've seen and the encounters I've experienced. I promise I'll return to our world…one way or another."

Dee then turned to face Zell, slowly folding the Blade back into itself as she smiled up at him bravely. "Okay…now what?"

Zell looked down at her with pride. "Now we show these son-of-a-bitch Hearts that it'll take a lot more then strength and speed to stop a Dincht – right?"

Dee nodded curtly, a large smile growing on her face. "Right!"

Zell nodded along with her…before turning his head towards Balamb. "But first…"

*          *            *

Ma Dincht was happily cooking up a storm, her kitchen filled with the delicious aromas of Zell's favourite foods – Pot Roast with crackling, steak and mashed potatoes, Balamb Fish cooked to perfection with a slight dash of lemon – and, of course, home-made hotdogs, the buns crisp, the sausages sweating with juice, the mustard and tomato sauce almost melting along with the cheese…

Her friends had said that she was crazy, that she had only been hearing things. That Squall and Rinoa could not have lied – that Zell had been killed, buried and was now with her husband in the Great Beyond. That cooking dinner for him was insane.

But Ma knew what she had heard. She knew what she had heard. The words, disjointed and lilted as they were, as the wind carried them to her ears, still ringing true. She knew what she had heard – and she knew her little Zell would not have wanted to wait. He would not be able to control himself – he would come as soon as possible. She was not crazy.

She had had no sleep. She had gone to her newly-built home immediately, staying up all night to put up the streamers and to blow up the balloons, to double-check once more that Zell's room was tidy and ready for him, that everything was to be laid out for her son when he returned. She was not crazy.

She had shunned away all her friends who had come to consol her – they did not have a son who was a Sorceress Hero. They didn't have the Hunter as a son. They didn't know of his true determination, of his courage, of his indomitable will. They would laugh and call her crazy, call her insane behind her back – but she would have the last laugh when Zell walked through the door. She was not crazy.

She opened the oven one last time, pulling out the sizzling Pot Roast, the meat crackling with luscious flavour. The smell was almost unbearably good, and Ma chuckled to herself, remembering the way he had followed his nose home almost every day of his active childhood. He had always had a healthy appetite, eating every scrap of what she put before him and asking for seconds. She knew that, if the hotdogs and the fish didn't draw him, then this would. She was not crazy.

Placing the Roast down in the centre of the dining table, she grabbed the gravy-pot and poured it over the steaming meat, adding even more to the flavour. Placing the pot down and wiping the drop of gravy from its spout, she took one of the roasted potatoes from within the Roast's tray and popped one into her mouth. The taste was exquisite, as usual – Ma Dincht prided herself on being the best cook in Balamb. There had been many a time that Garden had tried to recruit her to cook in the cafeteria – but she had politely declined, happy to spend her days at home with Zell then seeing him at his place of work. She was not crazy.

She looked over the spread on the table, noting that she had made four-places again instead of just two. She smiled at that. Zell had always made a habit of bringing home friends at the most inconvenient times – but this time she was prepared. She was ready. She was not crazy.

She sat down and waited with a bemused grin on her face, wringing her hands together impatiently. What was taking him so long? Was he injured? Did he have more luggage then he had taken with him when he had gone away? Was one of his friends holding him up? She was not crazy.

She stood suddenly, blinking in surprise. What if something had happened to his room whilst she had been cooking?!

Dashing from her spot she raced up the stairs as fast as her considerable weight allowed her, coming to Zell's door and flinging it open – to reveal nothing. Everything was exactly as she had made it – the bed was perfectly made and smoothed over. Zell's T-Board was charged and floating in the corner next to his Grandpa's guns – scorched and burned by the explosion from the last house, but built to last. Zell's new punching bag, filled with fresh sand from the beach and latched on so it wouldn't catch like it used to, hung still and silent. Everything had been made neat and tidy for his return, everything ready for him instantly if he needed it. She was not crazy.

She was not crazy.

She was not…

Ma leant against the doorframe, blinking back the tears as she remembered his final words to her. She had been discussing the impossibility of his universal journey with him and Angel, the two young SeeDs reclined on Zell's bed with Angel in Zell's arms as Ma had leant exactly where she was now, the two of them laughing as Zell looked up at her and said:

"If it's anything like Time Compression, Ma, then I'll have nothing to worry about. Nothing's impossible, right?"

Ma had snorted and waved him off, confident in his strength and skill, confident that he would be back in less then the week they had said it might take. Confident…

She collapsed to the floor of the bedroom, weeping her heart out, her breath shuddering into her body as the stupidity of her actions fell onto her shoulders like the weight of all the worlds. Zell was gone. The fact, fuelled by her grief, had consumed her. She was irrational, crazy, hearing voices of her dead son. And she couldn't take it anymore…

She blinked, sharply breathing in as the sound of the front door unlocking wafted up the stairs and down the hallway. She paused suddenly, stopping herself from jumping to her feet and running, placing her fist to her head in an effort to stop the noise of two feet walking through the foyer vibrating through the hallway floorboards, before a voice came up the stairs.

"...Damn, something smells friggin good…"

*          *            *

Dee turned to Zell, confusion on her face. "…How could someone have been expecting us? I don't think we were spotted yesterday…"

Zell smirked, walking forward and taking off his backpack, dumping it on the ground like he had done a million times before. "Ah, but that's Ma for you – always ready, no matter what the circumstance."

A creak of the stairs made them both turn – to see Ma Dincht, her hand clutching the stair-rail so hard, shaking so violently, that it looked like she was about to rip it from it's foundations. Her plump face was white as a sheet as she lifted one more foot, infinitely slowly, to plant it down on the floor.

Zell stepped forward slowly, approaching her with care, not making any sudden movements. He figured this was what seeing a ghost would look like. "…Hi Ma." He said softly as he moved towards her. "…Sorry I'm late, but I wanted to show Dee where the Garden used to be."

Ma bit her bottom lip to stop it quivering. "Your…your tattoo's gone…" she whispered as the tears fell from her eyes, reaching out tentatively to trace a hand across his smooth cheek, as if testing to see he was solid.

Zell smiled, grasping the hand and holding it to his cheek. "I'll be getting it back soon, don't you worry."

That was the final nail. Ma instantly leapt from her position to hug Zell to her as hard and as firmly as she had ever done before, weeping with wild abandon as she held his head to her cheeky, running her fingers through his spiky hair, constantly checking that he was really there.

Dee stood back and watched, holding her hands to her mouth as she tried to hold her emotions in check, tried to remain professional, tried to remain strong – but was losing fast.

Zell simply allowed himself to be embraced, patting his hands on Ma's back and whispering to her that everything was alright, that he was home, that she didn't need to worry anymore. It suddenly occurred to him that this was what had happened to him when he had awoken from his Sorceress dreams, screaming, covered in a sweat – to find Ma sitting on his bed with open arms, letting all his fear and trouble wash away in a sea of warmth and soothing words.

It was almost impossible to keep his emotions at bay.

Finally Ma pulled away from Zell, looking him up and down, noting the strange fabric of his clothes and his gauntlets and his clean, un-tattooed face, before looking over at the girl standing near the door, looking ready to burst into tears herself. Ma composed herself quickly, softly slapping Zell across the chops with a rapidly growing smile. "Zell, you should introduce your guest." She said in the same annoyed tone she had used every time he had brought home another friend.

Zell smiled uncertainly, scratching the back of his neck as he looked over to Dee. "Ah…well…Ma, this is…Dee. She's…she's…well, it's hard to explain…"

Ma waved her hand at Zell, before stepping forward and grasping the girl's hands softly, taking them away from her face to look her in the eyes, filled with a mixture of fright, shock and embarrassment. "Dear…a person as pretty as you should never hide your face like that. Come with me and we'll get some food into you…we can discuss your origins over dinner…"

An elated Ma led a bewildered Dee into the next room, leaving Zell to watch from the foyer as Ma sat Dee down at a place on the table and give her a napkin. Zell couldn't help but smile, shaking his head in amazement, before looking about the foyer with a mild sigh of relief. "Home…"

"Zell Dincht! I did not cook this dinner for my own amusement!"

"Coming Ma!!"

*          *            *

All together now…awwwwwwwwwww!! 

_Sorry I haven't updated in AGES – but believe me, it'll be worth it._

_I've been researching and creating new things for the up and coming major event, an event so major you might call it…universally important? Lets just say it's gonna involve one hell of a fight – a fight I'm gonna see if I can drag for at least two chapters. Two 'My Final Finale' sized chapters!!_


	25. Message In A Moomba

Ch 25 – Message In A Moomba

"So let me get this straight…you're my grand-daughter?"

Dee smiled at the bemused look on Ma Dincht's face as she shovelled in another helping of mashed potatoes, speaking with a full mouth. "Thass Righ."

"And you were conceived from a sperm sample donated by my Zell?"

Zell nodded, swallowing the hotdog he had been munching on before cramming three baked potatoes into his maw. "Yup." He said simply as he swallowed the potatoes whole and chased them down with a generous gulp of soda-pop.

"Zell!! How could you?!" Ma screeched, turning on her son's joviality with anger. "Did you even think about Angel during all this?!"

Zell gulped and sat up in his seat. "Of course I did, Ma! I did nothing but angst over it for hours before…"

"Only hours?!"

"Ma, the Immortals revived us from certain death. It was the _least_ we could do."

Ma Dincht sank back in her chair, crossing her arms and looking down at the platter she had set out for them with a sullen look on her face. Suddenly she began to wonder why she had even bothered.

Zell rolled his eyes and leaned forward to grasp her shoulder. "Aw, Ma, don't be like that, everything's okay, it was all sorted." He looked at Dee with a wink. "Go on, show her the picture."

Dee blinked, looking up from stuffing her face – before reaching into her back pocket and, withdrawing a wallet, pulled out a small photo. She handed the older woman the picture before placing the wallet on the table and resuming her pigging out. She was more then content to keep herself out of the conversation for now.

Ma stared down at the picture, her mouth gaping. It was Angel, alright – right down to the cute little dimples that appeared on her cheeks when she smiled. She was dressed in what looked like a flowing white silk robe, the material clinging to her in a sub-sexy way that only a person with a naturally graceful body could allow. Her eyes, however, were sad as they looked into the photo – as if she had seen plenty of the world and had had enough. "I…I don't know what to say about that…it seems so…so…" Ma gasped, placing the photo back on the dinner table and sliding it away from her as if it was toxic, not able to speak for a second – before looking up at Zell. "…Did you get to meet her?"

Zell sighed, looking down at his plate. "Nah…I described Angel to Aries, their leader, one time…I guess she took note and tracked down _their_ version…or at least what was left of her. She was already dead, Ma. Dee was conceived from a frozen egg…" His voice trailed off as he watched Ma's vision trail off into the distance. The subject intrigued Zell slightly, however – how _would_ have he reacted had this Immortal Angel been alive?

Ma Dincht sat back, the news hitting her hard – but not exactly surprising her. There was something about this beautiful creature that was happily eating before her that reminded her of both Zell and Angel…maybe it was the shining blond hair, or the mischievous glint in her sky-blue eyes, or the way she wolfed down her food like it was about to disappear – or maybe it was simply the combination of those things, making her into the individual sitting before the older woman right now. The fact that her granddaughter was old enough to bear children, however, was another shock as it suddenly dawned on her. "But…she's old enough to date! How is that possible when Zell doesn't look like he's aged a day?!"

Zell crushed the soda can in his hand with an easy squeeze before tossing it over his shoulder into the bin strategically placed by Ma before he had sat down – he had a perchance for tossing used things over his shoulder – and burped. "Oof, sorry…it's hard to explain, Ma. You see, there's this thing in the Immortal world called Rebirth, which is the way that the Immortals are able to keep alive for so long…"

Zell launched into his story of the Immortal world, captivating Ma into the world of women and insanely advanced technology, only pausing here and there to snarf down a hotdog or gulp greedily at another soda can. Dee sat back, only injecting when more information was needed or to correct Zell – which she did, at great length, again and again – but, for most of the story, was simply happy to eat and feel merry in this wonderful home, full of fantastic colour, interesting contraptions, and excellent food.

Zell finally wound down by describing when him and Dee had walked down to the Garden Crater – the area where the Galbadian Missiles had just narrowly missed Balamb Garden during the Sorceress Wars – and had been confused to find the Garden missing. "According to our mission parameters," Zell said, drinking down another soda and tossing it over his shoulder to clink off the mound sticking out of the bin, "The Garden was supposed to remain in the Crater in case we had to return in a hurry. What's been happening whilst we've been gone? Have Squall and everyone else finished the mission?"

Ma looked down at the table once more, suddenly falling silent. "No Zell…it's gotten worse. Much, much worse…"

*          *            *

It had happened all of a sudden, Ma Dincht told the two. One second Ma had been waiting for Zell to return from a mission, as usual – the next she had received a knock on her door. An ominous knock. Ma had known what Squall and Rinoa were about to say when she opened the door to see them there, their clothes still torn from battle, their faces streaked with dirt and dust. Rinoa had explained later that she had flown the two of them straight from the Arch to see her.

Squall had sat Ma down and explained to her the events leading up to and concerning Zell's death, and the reasons why he hadn't been able to retrieve the body on their journey back. Ma had simply clutched to Rinoa and sobbed as Squall conveyed, stoically as usual, his condolences.

It had hit her harder then she would have imagined – she had remembered Zell laughing about death like it was a disease – something that magic could cure instantly, or a Phoenix Down could make go away, like it was a bad case of the flu or something. But she now had to acknowledge that she would never hear his voice again, feel his touch, see him smile. She may have been his adoptive mother – but he was still her son, and for a mother to outlive her son was something that neither of the SeeDs were prepared to face when they told her the terrible news.

Rinoa had taken Ma up to her room to put her to bed, suggesting that she would feel a little better after a nap, before moving to the hallway outside, closing the door softly behind her. Even thought the two lovers had spoken outside, Ma knew the house well, even after living in it for such a short time. She could hear the two of them speaking in their hushed tones, whispering to each other as she tried to find solace in sleep.

"Why did we have to come, Squall?" Rinoa asked, her voice full of grief and hurt. "Who knows what has happened to Zell. He might be alive – you never know!"

"Even if he was alive…by some slim miracle…he has no way of coming back to our dimension, and we have no way to go to the Immortal Universe to find out for sure. It was the best thing for us to tell her – better us then the usual committee. Sometimes I wonder why Cid formed them in the first place…"

"And…what about Angel?"

"She'll be too busy with the coming war to grieve. She will let it loose on the battle-field, like so many others will."

There had been a short pause were Ma Dincht had thought they had finally decided to go…before she heard Rinoa speak once more. "…Do you have it?"

"…Yes." Was the hesitant reply. It had sounded to Ma like Squall was being forced to do something he didn't like, like a child being dressed in trousers and a shirt instead of something more comfortable.

"Come on, Squall, it wont hurt to use it. Maybe, by the slim chance he returns, it'll give him an idea of what he'll be dealing with when he comes to look for us."

"…"

"Please, Squall…do it for him. You know he would do the same."

Squall had snorted, his words nostalgic. "He would have never thought of it."

"Maybe not…but I'm pretty sure Angel would have. Like I did for you. You didn't think about it."

"That's because he's gone, and he's not coming back!" Squall had said suddenly, raising his voice to normal levels, the pain evident in the words.

There had been a silent moment then, and Ma had guessed that the two of them were hugging – before she heard Rinoa speak once more. "Please Squall…please…"

There had been another moment of silence – before a door opened. The sound of footsteps moving across floorboards were like hammers thumping into Ma's ears – before the sound of a door shutting cancelled the hammers. "Are you satisfied?" Squall had growled, before the sound of one set of footsteps stomped off, quickly followed by someone with a lighter step…and then they had gone.

*          *            *

They had moved from the dining room to the lounge now, Dee reclined on the sofa with her hands on her stomach, a content look on her face as she felt sleep beginning to creep into her mind. Zell sat on the edge of the sofa, his hand grasping his Ma's as she sat in her recliner beside the sofa. Ma's voice went from the pain of remembering the conversation to anger at their actions. "They didn't have faith in you, Zell – they thought you were gone, that you'd never come back!!"

Zell scratched the back of his neck, a frown furrowing his brow. "Well…given the circumstances, Ma, I cant really blame them. I'm pretty sure I would have done the same thing, if the same situation arose."

His words made Ma sit back in her chair a little easier, the tension obviously easing out of her body as she nodded slowly, almost tiredly. "Yes…yes, you are right, my dear. They had no idea. I shouldn't blame them."

Zell's mind was elsewhere, however, as he ran the conversation through his head once more. _Up coming war?_ "Ma…where are the SeeD? Where is Garden?"

Ma looked up at Zell with wide eyes, clutching his hand tightly. "They…they've gone. They broadcast over the radio waves of a massive attack being aimed at Gaia, and that they needed all the armies, mercenaries and able-bodied fighters to go to the Centra Continents. All the warriors on Gaia went to Centra – and they haven't been heard from since. That was about two months, maybe a month and a half ago." She blinked her big brown eyes, grasping Zell's hand even tighter. "D-do you think they've gone to war? Do you think it has come to that?"

Zell shook his head. "I don't know." He said truthfully – he really didn't know. He had no idea about the sizes of the Heart Army, or how far their spies' influence went. All he knew was that there were very little people left on Gaia – and in his eyes, that was very, very bad.

With little to no defences, and every able warrior off to do battle in some distant universe, Gaia was completely open to attack. In all effect, the Hearts had Zell's home world all to themselves.

*          *            *

The Dincht's decided that there was enough time tomorrow to clear the table and clean up the kitchen. Ma was exhausted from the mental exertion she had been radiating ever since Zell approached her – she still reached out to stroke his hair every now and then, as if to double check that he was really there. Zell was in tangles, trying to figure out exactly what and where the SeeDs were up to, and Dee had eaten way too much good food and had to be put to bed.

Zell carried her up the stairs in his arms, the girl too tired and full to even stand up. She had simply reached up for him when he had stood from the sofa and told her she could sleep in his bed and opened and closed her hands like a little child. "I cant get up…can you help me?"

Zell smirked down at the dozing teenager, shaking his head. "I think you really had too much to eat."

"…But Grandma cooks so good…"

Ma walked up behind Zell, following them up the stairs to go to bed herself. "Grandma?! Never thought I'd hear those words in my life!!" She said with an eldery cackle, prodding Zell in the back with her finger.

Zell rolled his eyes and turned, shooting a look at his Ma. "Gods, Ma, if your so up-tight about it I'll marry Angel, alright?!"

Ma lifted her hands in surrender. "I didn't say anything!!"

Zell breathed out heavily and turned to walk up the stairs again, annoyance engraved on his face. Ma had been on his case about the 'M' word for almost a year now – him and Angel had met each other during and after the Sorceress Quest, and had been going out ever since. Zell, however, had never gotten the courage up to ask Angel for her hand in marriage.

He had battled demons and monsters so fearful and deadly he had trouble sleeping at night.

He had roamed the world in search for the strength to defeat the world's greatest foes.

He had travelled _forward in time_ to do so, risking his _soul_ and his _life_ in the process.

But he couldn't get down on one knee and shove a glinting rock in the love of his life's face and utter three simple words – 'marry me, bitch.'

And Ma was always getting on his nerves about it. Every now and then she would 'subtly' hint about marriage – leaving jewellery catalogues she received in the mail surreptitiously open to the ring section when he went to retrieve his fighting magazines. Lately she had been talking about how she and Pa had met – under the Galbadian starlight, celebrating the President's birthday, and how Pa had popped the question on that very day only three years after they had met. And, of course, there was Justice.

Zell didn't like Ma seeing Justice Delarn. It wasn't the fact that he was the President of Galbadia. It was the fact that, after the assassination attempt at the Tournament, he always had a squad of bodyguards always flanking him. Suffice to say, it became a little annoying – and a bit embarrassing – whenever he came to town. The whole house was turned upside down in the always-vain search for bugs – Zell made it a regular chore to sweep the house weekly after the destruction of his old home – and they were always stationed out the front door and at the back too. Not only that, but they always asked whenever anybody left. There was many a time when a bodyguard left on a stretcher or nursing a broken jaw after giving the smaller Zell a tough time. They evidently didn't get to watch the Tournament.

Ma had been thinking about marrying Justice for an age now. Even though they had been going out since the Tournament – about three months since Zell left on the mission – they had been seeing each other on a regular basis, almost daily on some weeks. It was only an hour's trip to Deling by train – Ma couldn't help but go and see him, and him her. _They had really struck it off_, Zell thought with a smirk. Although how Ma had gotten the idea of marriage into her mind was anybodies guess. But she obviously thought it was high time for him and angel to tie the knot.

The idea gave him a stomach ache. He'd rather not think about it until everything was done and settled with – then he could angst about it to his hearts content until he grew the balls to finally do…_it_.

Finally reaching his room, Zell kicked open the door and walked in, placing Dee down on his bed gently as Ma walked in behind him and looked down at the girl, clasping her hands to her chest. "Gods…she's so adorable…" She whispered, not wanting to disturb the dozing teen.

Zell nodded. "Yeah…pride and joy, all wrapped into one. She's a very important person back in her Universe…she'll go far."

Ma smiled, nodding – before ruffling Zell' hair and walking into the hallway. "I'll see you in the morning, Zell." She whispered – before shutting the door.

Zell watched her go – before looking down at Dee. She had her eyes open and was looking around slowly. "So…this is your room, huh?" She asked with a yawn.

Zell nodded, looking around himself. "Yup. A bit cleaner then it usually is, but yeah. This is all mine. Course, most of the other stuff was lost during the fire in the other house, but all the really cool stuff was saved."

His SeeD diploma, a little scorched but looking no worse for wear, we hung just over his bed. A collage of pictures, some new, some old, some re-created digitally after the fire were hung next to his Grandpa's guns. Thankfully Angel had packed those away when Zell had ordered her out of the house.

On the dresser on the other side of the room were a few other things – his first pair of fighting gauntlets, thankfully encased in glass – which had protected them, but only barely – a piece of Lunatic Pandora, the shining blue crystal still winking brightly after enduring the intense flames – and a Moomba Doll from the Shumi Village. All the Sorceress Heroes had received one from the Shumi Village at the end of the quest as a token of their appreciation for saving the world and helping them finish their statue of Laguna.

Zell blinked, frowning at the doll. _Wait a minute…_my_ Moomba was burned up in the fire. I still got the metallic shell somewhere…I've been meaning to go to the Village to have it repaired. What's it doing there?_

Zell looked down at Dee – to see her asleep, her blond hair draped over his eyes slightly as she began to snore quietly. Smiling and shaking his head, Zell brushed the lick of hair from her face before standing from the bed. "You did eat too much, silly little thing…"

Dee simply snored away, oblivious and content in what felt like a safe environment.

Zell tip-toed over to the dresser and picked up the Moomba doll, turning it over in his hands. It was just as he thought – it was brand-spanking new. It looked like it had come off the production line only yesterday.

The little doll meeped at him.

Zell hugged it to his chest tightly, stopping it from meeping anymore. "Quiet you!!" He whispered urgently, looking over to Dee. "Don't wake her up!"

The doll began to paw at its nose cutely. He still amazed Zell at how the Shumi's were able to create such excellent mechanics – it was even warm, like a real Moomba, and the separate dolls had separate personalities, much like different people had different personalities. It was like every doll was a living creature.

Stealing out of the room and shutting the door quietly behind him, Zell tip-toed down the stairs to the living room. Placing the Moomba down on the coffee table in the middle of the room, he watched as it began to lick at its fur absently. 

Obviously this one was once owned by Squall – the Moomba Dolls usually picked up the personality traits of their owners. Selphie's had to be turned off for fear of it exploding from over-exertion, Irvine's was always cuddled by the girls, Quistis' could only be played with if you knew advanced calculus, Rinoa's had a tendency to tackle-hug your leg whenever it saw you, and Squall's was the quiet one, always grooming and keeping to its fuzzy little self.

Zell's one used to bash things with its little paws, knocking all the knick-knacks off the edge of the shelf until Ma threatened to cut its head off with a carving knife unless he turned it off.

But the Dolls weren't only a cute little souvenir. It also held massive storage capacity in its little carapace – enough for a lengthy hologram message.

This must've been what Ma had told him about when she described the conversation from the hallway. Squall must've used his Moomba Doll to leave Zell a message in the slim chance that Zell survived and had somehow made his way back home. Squall, even though he was certain Zell wouldn't return, must've hidden the message in something that only Zell would've known to look. Very few people knew that the Sorceress Heroes had received Moomba Dolls from the reclusive Shumi's – and even less knew that Zells had been destroyed. It would be impossible for a spy to find.

Leaning forward, Zell appraised the tiny, half-a-foot high doll thoughtfully. "Well…how do I work you then?" He muttered, half to the doll, half to himself.

The Moomba stopped it's preening and looked up at him with it's emerald green eyes – before offering a paw, meeping at him.

Zell blinked, confused. "You want me to shake your paw?"

The doll meeped again.

The SeeD shrugged. "Alright then…" He frowned suddenly. He was talking to a robot who couldn't talk back. Rolling his eyes he reached out with his finger and thumb and, gripping the paw delicately, shook it up and down about half an inch.

The finger-print identification built into the paw instantly recognised Zell's fingerprints, and instantly the little Doll stood on it's hind legs like a human and turned to Ma's recliner, it's little green eyes flashing in light – before the figure of Squall suddenly blinked into life on the recliner, the image flashing slightly and fuzzily filling with static every few seconds, but still going strong none-the-less.

Squall looked uneasy as he stared into the receivers built into the Moomba's eyes. His scarred face was twisted in grief-stricken pain, his stance one of defeat as he began to speak slowly, his voice tinny as the Moomba opened it's own maw to allow it's speaker to emit his voice. _"Zell…I don't know if you'll ever receive this…but I guess a chance is better then none. We've been through so much and seen so many things, it hard to not think that you wont come back…even though I watched you die right in front of me…"_

_"This recording is being made exactly three weeks after we left the Immortal Universe. We only just got back to Gaia, but we'll be leaving soon for another mission. We're fighting for all the souls of Gaia, Zell – not only Gaia, but of all the Universes that Queen Rinoa can reach and will reach unless we can stop her."_

_"We're going to war, Zell…a Universal War."_

*          *            *

Zell sat back as Squall sadly began to regal his tale to the small mechanical doll before him half-heartedly, not knowing wether the message would ever reach Zell's ears or not. As the tale went on, however, Zell began to realise just how much Rinoa had been right to make Squall do the message – and how much the worlds they had visited and the worlds that were to come were in danger.

*          *            *

Rinoa bundled out of the Arch, the portal closing behind her as her wings retracted into her back, and looked up – to see her friends standing stock still, seemingly unable to move. "Hey guys, what's wrong?" She asked – before seeing them.

About twenty Heart Warriors, all clad in the shining Orihalcon armour, surrounded them all, some holding weapons, others with their hand filled with some kind of elemental force.

_Ah shit…_Rinoa thought to herself.

One of the Warriors walked forward slowly, pressing a button on the side of his helmet. The shining metal retracted into his neck, surrounding the throat like a cravat – to reveal Seifer's scarred face, his cold blue eyes locking onto Squall and Rinoa.

"It's the Queen and her Knight!" Seifer suddenly bellowed. "Destroy them!"

Immediately the room flew into chaos.

Twenty silver warriors suddenly flung themselves at the SeeD's without remorse, screaming bloody murder through their helmets as the SeeDs retaliated. Squall had his LionHeart in his hand and was swinging in an instant, three Hearts flying away from him and his Sorceress as the blue energy blade sizzled through the air, Squall swinging it like a baseball bat and leaving a blue trail behind it – before snarling and springing into action, skidding into the first Heart and knocking him to the floor before jamming the blade deep into the armour with a supreme effort, blood spraying from the wound as Squall wrenched the blade out – and knocked away the other two.

Trish instantly teleported out of the way as two Hearts ran at her, the warriors running straight through the smoke of her teleport to smash into the wall behind them – before Emily stepped forward and blasted the both of them with a Flare, the super-hot magic searing straight through the armour and blasting the bodies within to ash.

Julius and Veronica fought hand in hand, the girl swinging her wooden staff with deadly accuracy as the man slammed his fist into the nearest opponent and, gripping him by the neck and the groin, threw him immediately into the pack before him. The pack fell to the floor instantly – before Julius was amongst them, his Orihalcon-covered fists swinging wildly as one man jumped to his feet to be knocked right off them again by a thunderous attack before he was jumped by the rest, the sheer weight of numbers bringing Julius to his knees.

Veronica watched as her lover went down under the pile of Hearts – and immediately called upon the magic within her, four years old but still going strong as she pointed her staff at the pile – and watched with glee as the silver-clad warriors suddenly Floated into the air, their arms wriggling around as they tried to move but were unable to do so, gripped by some kind of unseen force.

Julius winked at Veronica – "Thanks baby." – before slamming his palms together, fingers splayed – and blasted the Hearts with a Meltdown, the ground below him crunching and shattering as the blast's kick smashed into him – but not as much as the attack itself, which launched the Floating warriors up into the air and through the ceiling, flying away into the sky to disappear in fluffy white clouds.

Squall turned, watching as several Hearts were blown away by Julius – before slashing his sword forward again, the blade held back-handed as the gunblader skidded forward and sliced several advancing Hearts neatly in twain, the energy blade blazing straight through the Heart's midsections – before the midsections exploded in a bloody gout of red liquid, the body's upper halves toppling to the floor as they legs decided to make a last ditch effort at their attacker before they realised they weren't getting blood, nerve-readings or muscle commands and tumbled to the floor after their former halves.

_We're getting better…_Squall thought to himself quickly, watching as Emily and Trish held down a Heart and, ripping his faceplate off, smashed his skull in. _…They're not as hard as they were when we started._ He wiped the sweat and blood off his face. _…Still tough as nails, though…_

He looked up suddenly as Seifer stepped forward, walking calmly up to Squall through the massive brawling and fighting going on throughout the throne room, and pointed his own gunblade at Squall. "Damn you Aqual! This coup-de-ta _will_ _succeed_ – even if I have to give my _life_ for it!!" Seifer screamed at Squall– before launching himself at Squall, swinging his own gunblade down – to be deftly blocked and rebuffed away from Squall, the SeeD puzzled by the Heart's sudden words.

"Coup-de-ta?! What are you talking about?!" Squall shouted at the universal copy of his arch-enemy, Seifer beginning to circle him wearily as Squall began to try and process exactly what the Heart had said.

_"It's the Queen and her Knight! Destroy them!"_

_"Damn you Aqual! This coup-de-ta  will succeed – even if I have to give my life for it!!"_

_Coup-de-ta? These people aren't Hearts!! _Squall suddenly realised in shock. _They're here to try and overthrow the Queen – and we've been mistaken as them!_ "Wait Seifer!! Listen to me! We're not who you think!!" Squall shouted, deflecting another suddenly slash and dove under the next, coming up behind the revolutionary.

"Don't lie to me!!" Seifer screamed, turning sharply and slashing his blade out – to have it arrested by Squall's just in time, Seifer's metallic blade skittering and sparking against Squall's LionHeart.

"Listen!! My name isn't Aqual – it's Squall!! Squall Leonhart!" Squall shouted, pushing the man off, Seifer suddenly slamming into a wall – and Squall running up to ram his edge of his blade into his body, pinning him to the wall by bringing the sizzling energy blade to the edge of Seifer's bare neck. "And if I was who you thought I was…you'd be dead already."

Everyone paused as Squall and Seifer locked eyes, both warriors breathing heavily with sweat dripping from their faces as they looked each other over. Seifer began to scan the SeeDs with his blue eyes, looking over each one of them as the fighting began slowed to a stop. Julius and Veronica ran to each other, Julius protectively getting in front of her as the squad of Hearts who had attacked them backed off slightly, their own weapons still drawn – but pointed down as they awaited their leader's orders.

Emily and Trish were still beating on one of the Hearts when they looked up – to see Seifer looking at them. The two girls looked at each other – before getting up off the man and moving over to stand with Julius and Veronica.

Rinoa stood at the edge of the Arch, her hands pointed at the soldiers who had attacked her, the soldiers floating in mid air from when she had picked them up with her telekinesis and began to bash them into the walls  – before dropping them unceremoniously and walking up behind Squall, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Squall continued to look into Seifer's eyes as he lowered his LionHeart slowly, smoothly walking backwards towards the SeeDs with Rinoa behind him – before finally flicking off the blade, the energy seeming to disappear into the adamantine haft.

Then the two groups looked each other over, almost for the first time. The SeeDs hadn't suffered heavy losses like the Hearts had – Julius had received a cut on his left shoulder and Trish had gotten a bruise when she had misjudged a re-entry teleport. The Hearts, however, had been reduced from twenty to nine in the sudden attack, and several of them seemed in pretty bad shape.

_Amazing what a few battles will do for you…_Squall thought to himself, proud of his SeeDs.

"…Your clothes are different…" Seifer said suddenly, breaking the tension that had been building. "…As well as your weapons and equipment." He continued, pointing to the SeeD packs that had been instantly abandoned when the fight begun, as well as Squall's LionHeart and Veronica's staff. "And you are right. If you were Aqual, you wouldn't have hesitated to kill me."

Seifer stepped up to Squall suddenly, prodding him in the chest. "Who the hell are you? You and your warriors can do things to Orihalcon I've never seen in my life. How come you look like Aqual and how come the woman behind you looks like that bitch of a Queen? Answer me!!"

*          *            *

Squall opened his mouth to speak – before stopping himself, looking behind him as the arch began to suddenly spark and sputter with latent energy.

One of the fake Hearts stepped forward. "The real whore is coming!!" He said, his robotic voice sounding a little more then frightened.

Seifer nodded, looking at the Arch as it began to build up with energy, before looking at his team – severely wounded and under-manned – before looking at the strange new-comers. Everything was happening too damned fast, and it was infuriating him, Squall saw. "Fuck…" Seifer snarled – before turning to the Hearts. "Abandon the mission! We'll be compromised if we stick around for any longer! Return to base ASAP!"

The Hearts nodded in unison, before bundling up their wounded and disappearing through the doorways, windows and curtains of the throne-room.

Seifer made to go too – before feeling a hand on his shoulder. Turning his head slightly, he saw Squall gripping his shoulder. "Take us with you." Squall said, his stoic grey eyes locked onto Seifer's steely cold blue gaze.

Seifer smirked, before pulling his shoulder out of Squall's grip and shoving him roughly. "I recognise you now, SeeD. You'll be dead before your boot touches the pavement outside. You're on your own."

Squall stepped forward, getting right into Seifer's face. "We know who you are. If we are caught, we will tell what we've seen."

The two of them began a battle of wills as the Arch behind them began to sputter and spark a little more, a purplish haze beginning to form in the middle of the pillars as Seifer and Squall began to see who would break first.

Trish looked from the battle of wills to the Arch anxiously, watching the two of them grow in size – before being unable to contain herself much longer. "Look, either leave us here or take us with you, but hurry up!!"

Rinoa looked at the Arch. "Yeah, hurry, it's almost open!!"

Seifer snarled again, his eyes still locked with Squalls – before ripping them from his gaze, turning sharply and moving forward quickly. "Fuck! Follow me!!"

*          *            *

_Once again, I apologise for the tardiness of the chapters – no rest for the wicked._

_But, that's what is coming up – a War. A War so damned massive, I've actually done research for it. Yeah, that's right – REAL research!!_

_It wont be for another few chapters yet, but believe me, it's gonna happen, and when it does, expect a shitload of stuff to happen!_

_Semper Fi, keep reading and reviewing, and don't forget to tell yer friends too!!_


	26. Revolutions and Infiltrations

Ch 26 – Revolutions And Infiltrations

Seifer disappeared through an opening leading out of the throne room, just behind the throne itself. The SeeDs hastily followed him, gathering their equipment with practised care and moving fast with one eye on the Arch whilst keeping the other out for hostile Hearts.

Squall went first, quickly followed by Rinoa. Seeing as they were the most easily recognisable, it would seem the best for them to get out of sight as quickly as possible. Emily and Trish followed the Sorceress Hero's closely, Trish sticking as close to Emily as procedure dared as the Goth kept up with the quickly moving Seifer. Julius and Veronica took up the rear. They were the least known of the group, Veronica especially – she took the flank whilst Julius followed behind Emily and Trish. As they entered the opening Veronica was surprised to watch as the wall closed behind her – they were in some kind of secret passageway.

The corridor twisted and craned, grey stone covering almost every aspect of floor, wall and ceiling. The route dipped and climbed like rolling waves. Sometimes they walked up stairs, sometimes they ran down slopes. All the while they passed openings in the passageways to other areas – but the SeeDs were following Seifer closely, who seemed to know where he was going. Every now and then they would take a straight for what would seem like an age, only for him to suddenly duck into another corridor without warning. There was complete silence in the entire group.

Squall didn't know what to think about the doppelganger of his arch-enemy. Obviously the threat of being exposed worked – this Seifer was closely aligned with someone within the Hearts. Maybe he was even a high-ranking officer, Squall didn't know – but one thing was for certain. Seifer had been fully prepared to leave the SeeDs for the Sorceress to find at a moment's notice. It wouldn't faze him to abandon them within the maze of tunnels to their own fate. Squall and the rest of the SeeDs would have to be shrewd when they handled this man.

Keeping an unwavering eye on the man in the Orihalcon armour, Squall fell back a little so he was in line with Rinoa. She looked up at him with a questioning look. _What is it, Squall?_ She pulsed into his mind, seeing the look on his usually passive face.

I need you to keep tabs on this Seifer until we are safe. We are dependant on him to take us to shelter, and I don't trust that he'll lead us safely.

Rinoa sighed physically as she replied telepathically. _Okay…_

Squall felt the apprehension radiating from her telepathy as she cut the link she had created between them. Obviously there were still feelings between the Seifer in their Universe and her… He felt the jealousy well in his heart – but pushed it down with practise. He was her Knight, and she loved him with all her soul. Her heart was kind and gentle – she was allowed to feel a little heartsick about Seifer. Even thought the full extent of their relationship had never become known to Squall, he was pretty sure that it must've been one that had placed a permanent mark on Rinoa's heart – but had been enough to send her away from him, and into Squall's arms.

Suddenly he felt slender fingers curl around his gloved palm, and looked down to see Rinoa smiling up at him as they ran. "I love you." She whispered.

Squall returned the smile. Even through the most difficult situations, she seemed to have an effect on him which turned the sullen depression he felt about life on it's end. It was small actions like that that made Squall remember that the glass was half full, not half empty.

Finally they entered into a small room, the room's walls covered in openings of all shapes and sizes – but only holding one door, the metal it was made of green with age.

Seifer checked all the openings quickly, before moving to the door. Opening it and looking out through the doorway, he turned to the SeeDs. "Get through here, quickly – don't take your damn time." He muttered – before disappearing through it himself.

Squall ran to the door and peered around the doorframe slowly – to have his breath taken away.

*          *            *

The Heart castle was like something out of a medieval painting. Large stone walls surrounded the main courtyard into which the door opened into, the walls adorned with long flowing purple banners and dotted with large stone statues of winged people dressed in flowing robes, most holding their hands up to the heavens. The sky it was open to was dark, stars dotting it like pinpricks through the sheet of Night. Along the walls were gargoyles of frightening realism – strange, misshapen creatures, obviously based on some kind of winged monster from this Universe.

The courtyard itself was almost completely empty – but that didn't betray its size. The courtyard was _huge_ – about the size of a football field. The very centre was covered in small stones and statues, almost like a mock garden filled with cold rock plants and small lifeless gnomes.

Squall kept his eyes doubly peeled as Seifer quickly made his way to the small garden in the middle, covering the distance in record time – and disappeared, seeming to simply drop into the ground when he got to the middle of the garden.

"Where the hell did he go?" Squall breathed, his breath coming out in a little fog in the cold night air as he narrowed his eyes.

Crouching and poking his head out quickly, he looked left and right professionally before pulling his head back in.

The others had crowded around Squall a little, Julius crouching down next to the gunblader. "What did you see?"

Squall let out a small sigh. "About twenty Hearts lined along the battlements, not to mention several watchers within the courtyard with some watch monsters on leash. Seifer must've been looked over because of his armour – with our clothing and the girls dressed as they are, we'll be captured in a heartbeat."

It was true. Squall and Julius were dressed in their usual civilian clothing – but the girls were all dressed in the Immortal's silk robes, white and shining even in the dank twilight of the corridor, and Squall had no idea on the fashions of this world. He began to try and think of a way to pass the guards without being seen – capture in this world was not an option.

Trish crawled up beside Squall, nudging him in the side. "Hey, give me a look." She said, clipping some webbing she had pulled from her pack onto her hips like a belt, the dark material becoming hidden within the soft folds of the robe.

Squall shrugged. "Whatever…" He muttered absently as he moved to the side, still thinking of a way to sneak out there without being seen.

The thief stuck her head out of the door and looked around for a second, before pulling her head in, tucking her long blond hair back behind her ears. Reaching down to her dress she began to tear at the edges, ripping off any loose cloth, the shining silk dropping off her like shedding skin as she reduced the flowing robes to something more versatile and less confining. "Okay, I'm going to go teleport out there for a second to see what I can find out. If you hear anybody screaming, don't worry – it's just me."

And with that she disappeared in a puff of grey smoke, the only thing remaining behind were the latent blue glow from where her eyes had been…

*          *            *

Trish reappeared within the stone garden – and immediately ducked into the shadows of a large statue, willing herself to become one with the rock as she listened to the sounds of the night intently.

Thankfully the night wasn't as dark as it had seemed from within the hallways, the moon full and bright in the sky. This helped her see immensely as she could not only see the guards as they strolled about the courtyard and on the battlements above – but she could also see the area where Seifer had dropped down.

In the middle of the garden was what seemed to be an empty pool, the edges of the pool seeming to span most of the garden. It seemed that when the pool was full a person walking through the garden had to step on specific stones in order to get from one end of the garden to the other. These stones stood out like pillars within the deep crevasse which marked out the pool – and just in the bottom, where the shadows begin to grow their darkest, Trish could see a small tunnel opening, the same size and shape of a grown man, in the darkest corner. _That's where you've gotten to…_Trish thought to herself. Not only was the opening nigh to impossible to find in the dark, it would be difficult to find during the day too – Trish could see the stone which could be placed over the entrance, probably sealing it watertight.

Lifting her wrist to her mouth, Trish spoke into her microphone. "I've found where Seifer's gone…but there's no clear way to the garden from where you guys are." She whispered, looking from behind her rock to the doorway, slightly ajar from where Squall and the others were subtly peering out. "I'm going to have to teleport you guys here one by one – that would be the best option."

_"…Okay. Good work, Trish."_ Squall's voice muttered stoically over the ear-piece in her ear, causing her to smile slightly. _"Lets get going…damn!!"_

"What?" Trish whispered – before feeling the barrel of the gun at her back.

*          *            *

Squall cursed to himself as he watched the Heart warrior move slowly over to the garden to check what his partner had found. Everything in his training told him to move now and save her, and as he stood he flipped the LionHeart off his belt and placed his thumb on the activation switch – before feeling a firm palm on his shoulder.

He turned his head – to see Emily, her hand keeping him firmly in check. Her gaze fixed onto his, and they traded looks for a split second – before Squall lowered the LionHeart, still holding onto the inactivated haft – but doing what Emily's unspoken words told him to.

*          *            *

_"What are you doing out here? The concubines are supposed to stay in their chambers after the hour of the Crow, remember?"_ The Heart warrior said robotically, his mechanical voice coming out of his headset like something being emitted from a speaker. The words weren't loud enough to be heard for a few meters, however – and as Trish stood with her hands by her sides, a small smile spread across her lips.

"Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry – I was just out for an evening stroll…" Trish cooed with a brilliant smile, flicking a lick of her blond hair away from her face as she sidled up to the soldier slowly. "You know how we concubines work so hard…"

Trish was pretty sure the soldier was gulping behind that metallic helmet. _"Uh…yeah…sure…"_

"And as a matter of fact, I was just about to go…but oh, darn, I seemed to have dropped one of my sandals down this pool, where it's so dark and no one can see…"

"But your sandals are still on your feet…" 

With a seductive smile on her face Trish slowly bent down, reaching down with both her arms to squeeze her heaving breasts with her upper arms as she ran her hands down her long tanned leg to hook her finger around one of the straps of the Immortal sandal – and pull it off and flick it into the shadows of the pool. "Oops!" She giggled.

The soldier stood there for a second – before it suddenly dawned on him. _"Ah…I see now. So…do you want me to go and get it for you?"_

Trish widened her eyes, flashing those baby-blues at the armour-plated face as she clasped her hands to her chest. "Oh, if it's not too much trouble for a big, strong man like you…?"

"No trouble at all, ma'am…"  The soldier said with evident lust. 

Suddenly someone called out from beyond the shadows in which the two stood, a man's robotic voice coming out from the edge of the garden. _"Ben? You alright in there?"_

The soldier standing before Trish looked behind him for a second – giving Trish enough time to palm a small pouch into her hand from a fold of her ripped robes – and called back. _"I'm going to take my siesta now, Jack. Wake me up in about three hours._"

"You're a madman, you know that? The Queen has just arrived back from inspecting another world. What will happen if she finds you asleep in her Garden again?"

_"We're doing twenty hour shifts, Jack. You find what rest you can. I can withstand another flogging if I can have a rest before the whip touches my skin."_

Trish could swear she heard metallic muttering as the second guard moved away from them – before focusing on the first guard. "Wow…you must be very courageous to take a whipping just for sleeping in the Garden…Ben." She said the name as if it was the most sultry thing that had ever come from her lips, and the man seemed to chuckle nervously as he walked over to the edge of the pool.

"Well…to tell the truth, me and Quistis have something of a deal when it comes to flogging…see, I can give the Mistress something not a lot of men can give her."

Trish blinked at the name – _The woman from the SeeD R&D?_ – before smiling and following the man. "Oh, really? And what is that, big guy?"

The soldier dropped down into the pool lightly, landing on his feet and barely making a sound doing it, before turning to the edge where Trish stood and lifted his arms. _"I'll show you in a minute…now jump. Don't worry, I'll catch you."_

Trish had made and landed higher jumps then this. Hell, she could land a _five-storey_ dive in the right conditions and with the right terrain. But when she jumped down into the pool next to the man, she did so hesitantly and with a small, supposedly unconscious yelp, almost as if she had decided at the last second that she didn't want to go through with it – but realised it was too late.

True to the man's words, he caught her easily without a sound, as if she weighed as light as a feather in his arms. Pouring on the acting, she sighed and waved her hands at her face as if flustered. "Wow, that was exciting!!" She breathed lustily, looking at the faceplate of the helmet before cocking her head to the side. "Don't I get to see the face of my big, strong man?"

The man chuckled robotically once more, placing her to the ground before reaching up with one hand to press a small stud on the side of the helmet, the Orihalcon retracting to slide around his neck like a throat guard like Seifer's had to reveal a handsome face with neatly cropped, wavy brown hair. "Happy now?" The man said, his deep voice soft like a morning breeze…

Trish smiled sadly as she brushed her hand across his face, trailing the small amount of Sleepy Powder she had palmed whilst he had been distracted across his nose and mouth, the man breathing it in – and falling asleep instantly. "Unfortunately…" She whispered as he fell into a deep slumber, unable to be woken for hours. He was a cutie – but they were there for a reason, and although she would have enjoyed seducing him a little more, she had no more time to waste. "…Maybe another time, soldier boy." She said – before teleporting out of the pool.

*          *            *

Every second was like an hour for Squall as a small trail of sweat snaked it's way down the side of his face. _What's taking her so long? _He thought to himself. _If she was going to take the guard out she should have done so by now…she's already gotten rid of the backup, now all she's got to do is…_

Everybody jumped suddenly as Trish appeared in a puff of smoke beside them, a broad smile on her face. "Are we all set?" She asked with a grin.

"What took so long?" Veronica asked.

"He took a little longer to put to sleep then usual. I had to use a bit of Sleepy Powder, after 'suggesting' that we go to the bottom of the pool."

Squall sighed heavily, running his hand down his face and rolling his eyes before stepping forward. "…Well done. Can we go now?"

*          *            *

Veronica was the last, her being the smallest after Emily.

When her and Trish finally appeared within the shadows of the pool in a puff of smoke, Trish sat back, her breaths laboured. "Thank the gods…we don't need to teleport anymore…" She gasped; her body feeling like it had just ran five marathons back-to-back. 

"Hopefully not." Julius said, kneeling next to the unconscious soldier, hidden in the shadows where Trish and Squall had dragged him. "What exactly did you use on him?" The hacker asked, shifting his spectacles up onto the bridge of his nose as he poked the man's face with his finger.

Trish grinned broadly once more, slowly getting her wind back. "You could stick…a knife into his hand…and he wouldn't feel a thing. He'll be completely out for about four hours with the amount he snorted."

Rinoa and Squall moved over to the opening looking down into the dank recesses, the couple looking down as one – before Rinoa looked up at her Knight. "See anything, Squall?" She asked hopefully.

"…No. It's pitch-black. I can't see a thing." He said, looking at her to watch as her face drooped slightly.

Tricky. Who knows what kind of booby-traps the Heart Revolutionaries had placed to keep unwanted visitor out of the way? And Squall didn't want to go picking into the place with a Fire glowing brightly in his hand – the flame would be clearly evident from the outside, especially from the deep shadows that the SeeDs currently skulked in.

"Trisha Jones to the rescue once more…" Trish said with a small grin, reaching into her burglar-kit once more to pull out what looked like a pair of swimming goggles. "Try these on, Mr. SeeD."

Squall took the goggles from the girl and placed them to his eyes, pressing down on a small switch on the rim of the left goggle. Almost immediately his vision was turned from blacker-then-black into a soft glowing green, the green seeming to illuminate everything in his sight. Now he could see easily into the tunnel, seeing the rough edges hewn from rock – it looked like someone had dug their way into the place.

Squall fully placed the goggles on his head, looking back to the others. "I'll scout the area out. I'll be back in a few minutes." He said – before disappearing into the darkness of the tunnel.

Trish sat down next to Emily in a huff, crossing her arms over her knees angrily. "Hmph! The least he could have done was said thanks!"

*          *            *

The green world around Squall began to close in around him as he ventured deeper into the tunnel, the rough edges crowding around him so much he soon had to hunch a little as he walked…before being forced into a crouch…before being forced into a crawl.

Thankfully the tunnel stopped at this height – Squall's backpack just fit – but the end seemed to disappear within winding turns and sharp drops. 

_Thank the gods there's only one way, though…_Squall thought to himself as he crawled on along his belly, getting his clothes dirty and sand down the front of his shirt. The only sounds within the claustrophobic surroundings were his echoed breathing, shuddering with the effort of crawling, and the scraping of cloth and metal against the rocky walls.

He was beginning to give up hope…when he finally found the end of the tunnel.

A dead end.

*          *            *

Trish's earpiece blared into life suddenly, causing the girl to jump. _"Trish…"_ Squall's voice muttered over the radio. _"The tunnel ends at a dead end. Are you sure Seifer came this way?"_

Trish looked over at the others as they all turned to face her. "Well…I didn't actually _see_ him go in there…" She admitted. "But where else could he have gone?! The tunnel is the only way out!!"

Squall only grunted at the other end of the radio.

"Hey Squall, be thankful I got us this far! If it wasn't for me, we'd probably still be in that damn room back there!!" Trish growled angrily into her wristlet. When she didn't get an answer her anger grew a little more in size. "Hey!" She whispered, rasing her voice a little more then she should have. "I'm talking to you, Mr. SeeD!! The least you could do is answer!!"

There was some ruffling on the other end of the line, before Squall spoke up once more. "I've gotten through the dead end, and I'm being held at gun-point by several Hearts. Just shut up for now."

*          *            *

Squall raised his wrist back up into the air from when he lowered it on command from Seifer to answer. "Are you happy now?" Squall growled, fixing his cold grey stare on the doppelganger.

Seifer simply smirked at him, flanked by two more men in the shining silver armour. "I'm happy you stopped her whining."

"So am I."

Squall had been talking to Trish when the rock blocking the tunnel's exit had roughly been pulled away and two pairs of arms had thrust themselves into the tunnel, ripping Squall out of the hole like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat. The action had been so fast Squall hadn't even been able to reach for his LionHeart – not that the action would have done much good. The tunnel had been so tight squeeze he wouldn't have been able to reach for it anyways.

He suddenly regretted going by himself. He should have asked for someone to go with him, or at least for backup. He should have asked Trish to go forward, actually – even if she was tired from teleporting them all over the courtyard, Squall was pretty sure she had enough left in her reserves to teleport herself out of danger. She always seemed able to pull the manoeuvre off to escape anything harmful whenever she wanted.

His captors had managed to rip his pack and his weapon off him before he had a chance to gather his wits from the sudden movement, and now he stood with two men with large-calibre weapons pointed at his skull ands Seifer standing behind them looking as smug as ever. Squall couldn't help but goad him a little. "My Seifer used to like hiding behind his subordinate too."

Seifer stepped forward then, his blue eyes flashing with anger as he stuck his face right into Squall's. "Do I look like I am hiding to you?" He snarled.

Squall looked around. The cave they were in had evidently been hewn from the rocks by hand, the roof standing about seven feet tall with the occasional wooden pillar holding it up. All around them were men and women scurrying about on some meaningless duty, all except the ones holding the guns to Squall ignoring the event that were going on before them. 

To the north Squall could see a plethora of beds and bunks, several filled with sleeping bodies, other filled with men in bandages stained with blood. Squall recognised one of the men in bandages from the fight in the throne room. To the south were banks of desks and walls filled with maps. This was where all the action took place, with about seventy-percent of the people within the cave seeming to mill about there, chattering amongst themselves and comparing notes. To the east was what looked like living quarters – tables and chairs, as well as cooking facility, and what looked like an entertainment system too. And at the west, where Squall was currently held at the mercy of his taker, were an elaborate system of tunnels and doorways, people coming and going like Fastifalicons jumping in and out of their little burrows.

The whole scene reminded Squall of some of the resistance faction hideouts in Timber. "Yes, actually…you're hiding." Squall muttered confidently, answering Seifer's question bluntly.

Seifer blinked. It was obvious that he wasn't used to this kind of insubordination. "You're a strange person, SeeD…it's not often you find someone that can beat several Hearts clad in Orihalcon, or skip past their defences without so much as a wisp of trail behind them. So I ask myself…what are you doing here?"

"We're here for the same reason as you – to kill Queen Rinoa."

This caused Seifer to laugh out loud. "Ha! We've been trying to do that for over five years! What makes you think you could do any different?"

Squall cocked his thumb towards the little hole he had been torn through. "We can help you. We have experience in helping resistance factions. We're trained in organizing and incorporating covert operations with strategic planning, as well as assassination procedures and infiltration techniques. Working together, maybe we can do what you're obviously trying to do."

"And why should we trust you?"

Squall shrugged. "What else do we have to lose? If we do not help each other, us SeeDs will be captured and under torture we'll reveal the location of your base of operations."

Seifer nodded slowly, his face going blank – before he slowly pulled a knife from the sheath strapped to the man's belt beside him and put it to Squall's neck slowly. "Or I could bleed you here and now and just disappear from this base like we've done so many times before."

Squall craned his head back as the edge of the blade pressed against his neck, forcing him to expose his very vulnerable jugular and Adams-apple. "Go ahead." He said however, his voice deadly calm. "Slit my throat. Kill a Sorceresses Knight. I'm sure _my_ Rinoa would be as merciful as your Queen would be after finding you with her Knight's blood on your hands."

Seifer's face screwed up in rage as he suddenly pushed forward, the edge of the blade beginning to cut deep into Squall's neck, pushing against his windpipe and cutting off the flow of air to his lungs – before the blond revolutionary turned and threw the blade away from him with a scream, the knife twirling and twisting through the air – to stab deep into a poster of the Queen, Squall's blood on the edge of the blade trailing down the paper as if the Queen was bleeding for real.

Squall staggered forward slightly as the men flanking him stood down, having been forced to the tips of his toes by the knife, and put his hand to his neck as he gasped for breath. Seifer had only cut a superficial wound – nothing major had been severed or damaged. Just to be certain, however, Squall cast a Cura instead of a Cure on the wound, the skin closing over the damaged muscle – before he stood, brushing his shirt down. "You made a wise decision." He said softly to the raging Seifer, who stared at the SeeD with a simmering anger hidden deep within.

"Make sure I don't regret it." Seifer growled, getting the last word in before turning on his heel and disappearing deeper into the hideaway, knocking a water-cooler over with a single punch in the process.

*          *            *

The SeeDs were taken from the entrance end of the hideaway to further into the complex, down the wide area with an armed escort. As they walked it became apparent that this was nothing like anything they had seen before in Gaia – there were at least several thousand people hidden within this cave, some alone, others grouped together, families and couples rife within the numbers. As the SeeDs walked down the long corridor people disappeared around corners and into niches, doors stuck into the stone walls slamming shut and curtains being drawn, not anybody wanting to be seen or see these newcomers lest they are spotted and drawn out from a crowd in case the newcomers were spies.

Rinoa walked beside Squall, keeping up with his even stride at the front quietly, looking down at her boots as she felt the hidden stares trace across his and her bodies. It perturbed her somewhat that they were being observed so readily, almost without remorse – it was like these revolutionaries were parading them around, showing them off as if they had been captured and led around like tethered dogs.

The stares weren't new to Rinoa. After the Sorceress Quest, when the news that she herself was a sorceress got around the Garden, she had gotten some pretty vehenoumous stares herself. _But that was what he was here for_, she rationalised as she curled her arm around Squall's, causing him to look down to her and smile a small Squall smile, conveying the message that they had nothing to fear.

Her eyes widened, however, as she saw the new scar across his neck. "How did that happen?" She whispered, reaching up with her free hand to run her fingers along the fresh white scar tissue.

Squall caught the hang with his free one and squeezed it firmly. "Just a mis-understanding, Rinoa. That's all." He assured her, smiling his 'nothing to fear' smile again.

Rinoa looked at him doubtfully, not believing him for a second – but deciding to drop it.

Julius and Veronica walked just behind Squall and Rinoa, the two of them holding hands loosely as they looked about themselves at their surroundings. Julius, ever studious, was fascinated by the structures of the cave. "Look at that! See how they've managed to work into several pillars at once under that one spot! It must be a weak-point in the ceiling. And see there, how they've converted those honeycombs in the walls into sleeping quarters! Highly fascinating!"

Veronica smiled up at him, clutching his hand tighter as she watched him look about himself like a giddy little schoolboy. She was – had, she had to remind herself, had – been famous for putting up with his studious behaviour. He had always been with his head in a book or out and about studying the living patterns of monsters and plant life – his appetite for knowledge had been voracious before her…incident…and now he had finished his quest he had resumed that appetite with a vengeance. "It's all interesting, baby…" she agreed, humouring him as she patted his hand like a mother humouring a child.

The sarcasm was lost to Julius as he witnessed a man pulling a cup of steaming water from a small dip in a wall and began to break down the geometric equations that would be encountered in order to bring steaming hot spring water specifically into that dip in the wall.

Emily and Trish lagged behind, however, only barely keeping up because of the armed guards behind them. Squall had ordered them all to stand down until something offensive happened, so Emily simply walked along beside Trish silently, her hands hidden within the fold of her robes like a Shumi.

Trish smiled over at Emily openly, the Goth looking up at her occasionally and offering a lop-sided grin as a reward for her perseverance. Trish had no idea what she saw in the darkly beautiful woman – she had been interested in both sexes since she had been small, having been trained in seduction techniques for both sexes at an early age – but something about Emily's troubled soul seemed to draw Trish to her, like a moth to a flame. She figured she saw a little of her own troubled past hidden behind those cold, stoic eyes – a past only revealed in small, soft parts when they were entwined in each other's arms in bed, or flashing up from within her soul within the heat of battle…and, perversely and selfishly, she felt that in helping Emily's troubles, she would vanquish her own.

Of course, something of an inkling of a feeling that could only be described as love lurked within the back of her mind too – but wether Emily felt the same, Trish did not know. Sure, she was more protective of Trish then the others, and Emily had opened up and become less cold since their union at the Immortal Universe – but something about her tugged the thought that she had lost the ability to love a long time ago in Trish's mind.

Wether that possibility was true, however, remained undiscovered for now.

*          *            *

The SeeDs were taken deep into the honeycombs of caves, so deep it soon became impossible to tell where they were. They had walked for a good while before they finally came to a doorway, the metal pitted and rusted yet still thick. One of the guards flanking them moved forward and opened it, before gesturing for the SeeDs to enter first.

Squall moved in, closely followed by Rinoa and the rest. The room had a small table and a few chairs situated around it, the light emitting from small pits in the corners of the walls giving it an eerie look. It reminded Squall of an interrogation chamber.

The gunblader turned – to see the guard beginning to close the door. "Hey…" Squall muttered, moving forward to speak to the guard – but the Revolutionary didn't listen, slamming the door shut, the thick metal rattling ominously with the sound of a lock turning.

Without warning the room suddenly started to grow slightly warmer, an ominous humming emitting from all sides, and every single SeeD felt something slowly melt away within them. The room was obviously one big magic dampener – they weren't about to blast their way out any time soon.

They were trapped.

"Damn." Squall grunted, slamming his fist into the door.

Julius sighed, taking off his pack and dropping it into a corner. "Never trust a Seifer…what do you think he'll do to us?"

Rinoa walked up behind Squall, placing her arms around his waist and hugging him gently. Squall rested his head against the door, scenarios playing in his mind. "Three choices – first, kill us and destroy our bodies. Second, pump us for information, then kill us. Thirdly – use us as bait for the Sorceress Queen, then kill the Queen – whether we'd survive such an encounter is still debatable."

"Bugger." Julius sighed, sinking down to sit with his back to a wall, Veronica sitting down beside him.

"Seifer wouldn't do that to us, would he? I mean, sure he's a little bit of a smartass, but he wouldn't want to kill us…would…he…?" She said quietly…before her words trailed off at the looks everyone was giving her. "What?"

Trish shook her head and turned away. Even she knew of the Seifer Almasy, temporary leader of the Galbadian Army and Sorceress Edea's Knight. She had heard of the orders he had followed under Edea's control, even witnessed a few – war was hell, and his actions were no exception.

Julius sighed heavily, placing his arm around Veronica's shoulders and drawing her closer to him. "Hon…a lot has happened since you've been asleep…"

But before he could continue, the door opened, forcing Squall and Rinoa back – and allowing Seifer entrance.

*          *            *

"How is everyone?" He asked with a smirk – before Squall was on him, grasping his shirt and ramming his body into the wall.

"Everybody out!" He yelled, pinning Seifer to the wall – before the three guards entered the room, the clicking of guns being cocked making every person freeze.

"Nice try, SeeD…" Seifer growled, pulling himself from Squall's grasp and walking over to the doorway. "…But we're not here to harm you. At least, not much."

The SeeDs all stood back wearily, Rinoa's face twisting into confusement and concern as she hid behind Squall. She had abandoned her Blaster Edge not long after she had gotten her Sorceress Power – the flimsy darts were nothing compared to the power of her magic. Within a room with magic dampeners, however, she was almost completely defenceless – that was, without Squall to protect her. "What do you mean, 'not much'?" She asked him defiantly.

Seifer walked into the room a little more, the guards closing the door behind them and lowering their weapons slightly, and it was then that the tension relaxed a little – and Seifer placed a foot-long metallic stick on the table.

Every SeeD stared at the stick as Seifer pulled up one of the chairs and sat down, picking up the stick and pulling off the cover – revealing a sizzling hot brand, the end smoking as he lifted it up for all to see before speaking. "Everyone take off their shirts." He said, almost casually.

The girls blinked in unison. "Excuse me?" Trish said, her voice incredulous. "You want us to do what?"

Seifer rolled his eyes. "It's a simple action, I'd think you've done it at least once or twice in your lifetime."

Emily crossed her arms defiantly, turning her back on the man. Trish did the same, turning away from the universal doppelganger. Rinoa and Veronica simply gawked at Seifer – before Squall asked the obvious question. "Why should we?"

Seifer shook his head, before standing and drawing off his shirt.

His body was a collage of damage, scars lacing up and down his chest, burns like wrinkled leather patches along his sides, bullet-holes pock-marking his skin – but just under his left pec, about three inches down form his nipple, was a small, round burn, the burn more evident then the others. It looked like a fist clenched tightly in a circle, the fist clutching a heart. The circle was the size of a Gil. "It's the mark of the Revolution. All of you will need it if you wish to work with us. The threat of you being replaced with someone else is too great."

As he lowered his shirt the SeeDs looked at once another. They had all been burned before. It wasn't like it was going to hurt a lot. Well…not for the boys. "Do we have to have it…there?" Veronica asked the blond warrior meekly, placing her hand just under her left breast as if it was hurting already.

Seifer sighed. "I'm sorry if your world is softer then ours – but in order to keep it concealed but easily revealable, we must place it there. Our studies have shown it's the lest likely place for anyone to look, especially for women – we do have strict rules regarding covered flesh in this universe."

"Well, I'm not doing it there." Rinoa stated, walking forward and lowering the side of her robe to show Seifer her shoulder. "You can put it here."

Seifer shook his head and rolled his eyes, lifting the brand and placing it on the curve of her shoulder, clutching her arm to hold her still. "Bloody Universals…"

Rinoa whimpered as the brand sizzled on her flesh, a small bead of blood trickling down her arm as smoke and the smell of cooking meat curled up and assailed her nostrils – before it was over, Seifer pulling the brand away from her and allowing her to run to Squall, tears streaming down her cheeks. "It huuuurt!!" She wailed, the false bravado she had displayed before now thrown to the wind.

"Brave girl…" Squall whispered to her, pulling a Potion from his pocket and putting it to her lips. She gulped it down greedily, before looking down at her still bleeding shoulder through tear-filled eyes – and sighing as the flesh stopped burning, the bleeding stopping. Squall rubbed off the excess blood with his sleeve to reveal a small scar the size of a Gil, the fist evident within the circle.

Seifer shook his head. If they all acted like that, then there would be no use using them in the plan he had thought up for them. "Well then…" He said with a small smile, looking over at the rest of the SeeDs. "Who's next?"

*          *            *

The plan was simple.

Infiltrate, annihilate, escape.

Seifer said he had done it a hundred times before. He had said they had only been beaten back a few times, that the rest of the time their information had only been off a little, coming to empty safe-houses or being at the location at the wrong time.

The Revolutionaries had profited off of Squall's strategic planning and Julius' technological know-hoe brilliantly, adapting with little resistance. Trish was a little hesitant to show some of the Rev's her sneaking abilities, but as soon as she saw how poor their's were, she was like a school-teacher, scolding and imparting her wisdom in equal doses. Emily got the task of training most of the new Revs in SeeD combat, going through some of the more difficult stances and moving through point/counter-point training with seemingly infinite patience. Squall noted to see to it she was recommended for Instructor Review if they managed to survive the plan of attack.

The only SeeDs that were left were Veronica and Rinoa.

Rinoa kept out of everybody's way for the most part. Although her experience as a resistance faction soldier in Timber was infallibly useful, there was still that tension whenever she walked into a room or spoke up.

The fact of the matter was, the Revolutionaries had lived under constant oppression of the Sorceress Queen – and having her Universal Twin walking around, _right in their very base, _was more then disconcerting.

Rinoa took it rather well. She understood the reasons, and even agreed with them to a certain degree.

But that didn't stop her trembling in Squall's arms whenever they slept.

*          *            *

Veronica, on the other hand, was at a loss to almost everybody. Years behind on the advanced techniques of the SeeD's combat and technology, she was almost forgotten by all except Julius, the brown-haired girl always sitting quietly behind the hacker as he explained the intricacies of close-feed-circuits to the Revolutionaries.

She had no real skill in anything. Her SeeD rank had been appointed to her only days before her death. The only thing she excelled at was her ability with her staff – and there were very few staff-handlers within the Revolutionaries. The Hearts were too adept to destroying the staves before they could be properly used. So she was stuck in limbo, simply sitting back and waiting for the day that they would attack.

It had been on one of those empty days that, going for a walk through the empty catacombs with Rinoa, catching up on what had happened since her death and miraculous Rebirth, that Veronica collapsed.

One second she was talking, smiling and laughing at Rinoa's funny stories, growing to like the Sorceress more and more – the next she clutched the wall, her hand to her breast as a shocked and pained look appeared on her pretty face.

"What is it?!" Rinoa gasped, running to Veronica's side.

"I…I…" Was all Veronica was able to get out, panting for breath – before her eyes rolled up into head and she collapsed into Rinoa's arms.

_SQUAAALL!!_ Rinoa pulsed suddenly, panicking immediately.

*          *            *

Julius looked up from where he was sitting beside the sleeping Veronica to see watch as Rinoa and Squall entered the room slowly, drawing the drape closed behind them. All the SeeDs had been given quarters with the rest of the Revolutionaries – except for Squall and Rinoa, who had been given more secure lodging in case someone got the wrong idea into their heads.

The pain Rinoa felt for the couple soared to new heights when she saw how Julius looked. His massive frame sagged, as if someone had placed the weight of the world on his shoulders. His tanned face, usually bright, was now gaunt and pale like a scrap of lifeless flesh. His eyes, framed by his thin-framed spectacles, had lost their jovial spark, their knowledge-searching hunger.

He looked defeated.

"The Immortals said that she was feeling good…that she was doing better then they had hoped…" Julius said dully, looking down at the sleeping girl. "But the Revolutionaries say that…they cant pinpoint her heartbeat. That…technically…she's been Zomibiefied."

Squall grimaced slightly. He knew of Deling's Rebirth attempt, his unholy union with Emily and her Zombie Blue. He also knew that Julius had never wanted to place that burden on Veronica – the soul-stealing magic that reanimated dead flesh but gnawed at the human spirit until you became nothing but a monster.

Rinoa steppe forward, placing a hand on Julius' shoulder reassuringly. "Don't lose hope. We still haven't been able to find anything that suggests she's actually been Zombiefied. I cant sense anything within her that says so, and no Dispel has worked on her yet. So don't lose hope."

Julius clenched Veronica's hand tightly, kissing the fingers, ignoring Rinoa's words. "I should have sent you back…I shouldn't have dragged you into this…please forgive me…" He whispered to the sleeping beauty.

Squall sadly sighed quietly. It seemed that Julius' sanity was linked to Veronica. If anything were to happen to her now, he would be rendered useless by the emotional instability that was evident in his psyche, just like on Crisp when he had killed Veronica's Universal Twin.

Squall walked up to Julius and crouched down next to the hacker. "We'll work through this, Julius. I promise nothing harmful will come…of…her…"

Squall's voice trailed off as the three of them looked down at Veronica…

…to watch as a silver liquid began to seep out of her closed eyes!!

*          *            *

"Too fast…" Squall muttered to himself, pacing the room. "Things are moving too fast, Seifer. We need time to assess what this means."

"We don't have time, Squall. In exactly seven hours our plan is going to be launched, wether your Veronica is able to fight or not."

"It's not that she cant fight. We need time to assess what this new development has done to her physically as well as mentally."

"Fighting, walking, talking, tap-dancing – I don't give a flying rats!! You incorporated your SeeDs into this plan, assuring me that they were all fighting fit and ready for anything – you assured me that they were the best!"

"They are the best, Seifer! But even the best can be stuck down by disease!"

"Bullshit! She's a _solider_, so _make_ her _act_ like one!"

"_I'm_ not sending one of _my_ SeeDs into battle until _I'm_ certain she'll be able to react like she's _supposed to_!"

The two men glared at each other, tensions rising. Seifer and Squall, as usual, came to loggerheads about almost anything – strategy, gunblade techniques, equipment for the mission – Veronica's interesting condition was no different.

Soon after the liquid had begun to seep from her eyes Julius had instantly grabbed some Revolution doctors and his laptop and got started analysing it. Although their equipment bordered on the mundane, coupled with Julius' Immortal-boosted laptop they found out what the liquid was – machines. Billions upon billions of microscopic machines. So small they were barely visible on the Revolutionaries' microscopes.

It had hit Julius like a ton of bricks. Veronica had the Immortal's nanobots _within her the entire trip to the Heart world._

"It's amazing…" Julius had told the SeeDs and Seifer when they had met in Veronica's room. "During the reanimation period, her insides were completely flooded by the nanobots – but because of the accident, the nanobots had flowed into her once more – and obviously didn't leave!"

"So how come this hasn't happened yet?" Trish had asked, a confused expression on her face.

"Well, if I've got this right, the nanobots recreate themselves exponentially by borrowing miniscule amounts of protein from Veronica's body. The nanobots are made of protein, see, that way they haven't been picked up by any metal detectors in our trip from the Immortals to here. Her body must be running on the latent energy being emitted by these nanobots, which are now running through her veins like blood. But during the trip Veronica has been recreating them at such a fast rate that her body has been unable to withstand the amount stored within her – so it shut itself down to let some nanobots leech out of her system."

Squall had to ask the million-gil question. "How will this effect her performance?"

"Well, the nanobots haven't rendered Veronica to a meaningless slab of flesh yet, so that must mean that during the accident she had been able to somehow make some kind of symbiotic link with them – most likely due to Zell's attempt to save us. When he had used the Thunder on the door, it had blow straight through the nanobots like wildfire through long-grass – but since Veronica had been shielded by me whilst also grounded on the floor, the electricity that had passed through her must not have killed all the nanobots within her. They must've been _scared_ of the electricity, hidden within her body, and now don't want to leave."

"Are you telling us that those little things are intelligent?" Emily had muttered, cocking her eyebrow sceptically.

Julius had simply shrugged. "How do we determine if the Orihalcon we use is intelligent? I'm just running on theory now."

So how Squall and Seifer were debating wether to use Veronica still. Julius, confident now that he knew what was wrong with her, had taken her to a private room and drained some of the nanomachines from her body with a few electrical pulses through her body. Now, feeling shaken, frightened, but better, Veronica looked upon the two men like a pair of squabble children. "Guys…I'm fine…really…" She said meekly – before sneezing a silver cloud into the air.

Every person in the room stared at her. Thanks to the forced expunge of the nanomachines, some had gotten trapped in her eyes, giving them a silvery look within the whites. Not only that, but her skin had also gotten slightly shiny, as if someone had poured sunscreen on her and rubbed it all in, giving her that glossy look. There was also the fact that anything now expelled from her body, be it a sneeze or blowing her nose or…the other functions, all included extra nanomachines being expelled as well.

Julius had found it quite relieving. He wouldn't care if she grew an extra eyeball that she could pop out of her skull and place in her pocket – he loved her, and would continue loving her until he died.

Everybody else thought it was a bit freaky – but it wasn't any different from the after-effects of some Blues.

Seifer watched the silver cloud dissipate as the nanomachines destroyed themselves in an attempt to find more protein – and shook his head. "And that's another thing. With an ability like that, she'd be the perfect one to assassinate the Queen! One sneeze would eat straight through the bitch like acid! I mean, that shit eats protein, right?"

Veronica shook her head, remembering what Julius had told her. "No, they don't eat protein – they just borrows tiny bits to recreate themselves. I might sneeze on her and she might just absorb them harmlessly into her system. And besides – Julius said they only borrow _my_ protein."

Seifer gritted his teeth, his face beginning to turn bright red from the anger being blocked by sheer will. "Can you walk?" He asked her with infinite calm.

"…Yes."

"Can you fight?"

"…I think so."

"_Then what are we waiting for?!" _Seifer screamed.

Veronica shrank into Julius' arms, looking up at Squall. "Is he like this in our world?"

"Yes…but he tends to cut things up more often in our world."

Seifer suddenly whipped out his gunblade and sliced a stalagmite that was calmly minding it's own business beside him in half, the top bit falling like a felled tree.

"…Yes. He's exactly like our Seifer." Squall said apologetically.

Veronica cringed and buried her head in Julius' chest.

*          *            *

It was nighttime when the plan was sent into effect.

Sending out their most stealthy people through the tunnel they had dug – Trish included – the Revolutionaries would pick off the guards around the courtyard one by one, either slitting their throats or sending them to sleep before hiding their bodies. With the threat of being spotted out of the way, the main force of twenty men – the SeeDs included – would steal into the castle through the same secret passage that Seifer and the others had escaped from.

After that, a group of five would scour the castle for anything regarding the Queen's plans. She had been going on a lot more Universal trips of late, coming back unexpectedly and leaving just as suddenly. The Revolutionaries needed to know what she was doing during those trips. This group would involve Trish, Emily and three Revolutionaries. Trish's infiltration techniques would be very handy when it came to looking for any decent information or papers, and Emily was there as her bodyguard, just in case anything went wrong.

The remaining fifteen, which included the rest of the SeeDs, would steal deep into the castle and make their way to the Queen's chambers, where they would assassinate her and her Knight in their sleep. To make doubly sure that the Queen wouldn't sense them, the assassins were all to wear magic dampeners. This worried Rinoa slightly – she was practically defenceless without her magic and was unable to use her telepathy when using a magic dampener, but after being reassured she could take it off at a moment's notice, she agreed to wear one.

Seifer stood before the team of ten men and nine women at the opening of the hole leading to the castle, his face, painted as black as night, grim. Taking Trish's advice, Seifer had ordered all of his men to don dark clothing over their adamantine and Orihalcon armour as well as wear face-paint. Everyone, including the SeeDs, were dressed in tight-fitting infiltration gear, a belt of webbing being the only thing on them the stuck out. The women cut shapely figures in the clothes, which elicited a lot of wolf-whistles and cheers from the on-looking crowd behind them – before Emily and Rinoa Silenced the lot of them.

"Okay people…this is the last chance we have. If we don't do this, we may as well just slit our own throats, cause we're really going to give this bitch a fright and she isn't gonna be happy with any of us. You all have your orders – radio silence unless absolutely necessary, the more of these buggers you take down silently the better, and for fucks sake try not to raise any alarms. If we fuck up we meet back here and disappear into the catacombs – I don't care how many soldiers the bitch says she has, they'll never find us if we disappear in there. Are we all ready?"

Every single person stood rigid, like soldiers ready to give their lives for their cause. And, except for the SeeDs, Seifer expected nothing more from them.

"We've trained for a good while for something like this, guys. Lets not fuck it up. Now come on…the bitch wont be waiting for us for much longer…"

*          *            *

The pool was filled with shadow, the moon not as bright as the night before. The sky was ominously filled with cloud, the inky grey blocking the night's light of stars and moonbeam as effectively as a blanket drawn over a brightly burning light blub.

The rock that had been pulled over the mouth of the cave was pushed forward slightly, before being pushed forward again fully, the rock almost falling, teetering on it's edge, threatening to tip and crash and crumble – but finally holding still.

Four shadows slinked out of the hole, one cracking the first over the head for almost tipping over the stone, before stealing away further into the pool.

Trish liked these guys. Before the Queen had come along, they had all been thieves like her. In fact, they were still thieves – Seifer had 'recruited' them after catching them in the chambers of the catacombs trying to steal the Revolutionary's finances. Each of them were crude, unforgiving and ruthless – just the kinds of people Trish was used to hanging around with.

The smallest one, called Mouse, rubbed her head from the smack she had gotten from Mother. Mother wasn't a maternal praise – it was short for Motherfucker. Mother's expertise wasn't always thievery – it was also assassination.

Tubbs, the third, was the smarter one, the one that planned everything. He had organised most of the sneaking missions up until Trish showed up, and despite seeming a little miffed that his reign of power had been usurped so readily, had buckled down and learned much from Trish, grudgingly giving her the respect she deserved. Right now his light green eyes, hovering in the shadow like a ghost thanks to the dark face-paint, winked at the blond thief – before motioning for them to move forward and fan out.

The group moved like ghosts, phantoms, wraiths – one second you might see a shape move, the next you wouldn't know if you had seen anything at all. They slinked out of the pool like lizards scaling a brick wall and moved with like Silences lightening to their respective poles – North for Tubbs, West for the little Mouse, East for Trish, and South for Mother.

Moving to her wall Trish immediately ran into resistance – three guards and a watch-monster within a small pill-box at the base of the wall, two men standing outside with the monster whilst another dozed inside. The monster looked gross – with leathery skin and pale yellow eyes, it looked more like a lizard then anything else. Every now and then the lizard's mouth would open, it's tongue flitting out of its mouth like a snake's before returning to into the rows and rows of sharp teeth.

Trish shuddered involuntarily, before adjusting the scarf wrapped around her mouth and hair and shifted forward silently. If the creature was anything like an Anacondaur or an Iguion then it 'smelled' by tasting the air with it's snake-like tongue – and Trish was prepared for that.

The night was so dark you could barely see three feet in front of you – but thanks to her night-goggles Trish could see everything as if it was daytime. Strafing left and giving the men a wide girth, Trish moved up to the wall – and, feeling for footholds, began to scale it slowly, her hands and feet searching for nooks and crannies for her hands and feet to enter into.

Climbing up about a story, the thief began to strafe along the wall to the top of the pillbox, her body hugged close to the stones as she shifted right inch by inch, until she was over the top of the box. She dropped down lightly, landing without a sound on her hands and feet like a cat, pressing her body down to the ground low, holding still as if she had been spotted already.

After a minute of silence punctuated by the occasional metallic cough from a guard and hiss from a lizard, Trish crawled on her belly to the edge of the pillbox, looking down on the two guards and their pet. The window of the pillbox was directly beneath her, and was open – no glass shielding it. This was obviously a battlement for an attack from within the castle – if anybody broke into the courtyard the guards could run to the pillboxes and fire at the aggressors safely from within.

Smiling behind her scarf, Trish rolled over and reached into her webbing to pull out what looked like a small beanbag. A device of her own design, it was a grenade that could be thrown without it causing any noise when bouncing off objects, Trish affectionately calling it a Hacky Sack. Pulling a small slit open, she set the timer for five seconds and, rolling back over to her belly and craning her torso over the edge of the small square construction, tossed the Hacky Sack through the opening in the wall.

The Hacky Sack bounced with a muffled 'tish' against the floor and rolled to rest against the corner behind the sleeping guard, who was snoozing in a chair, his metallic snores evident in the small confines of the room.

Nothing in the room moved after that for five seconds – before the Hacky Sack suddenly rolled to it's edge, and split open slightly to fall in half.

Again seemingly nothing happened.

Still smirking behind her scarf, Trish rolled over again and, reaching into her bag, produced a rock. Smooth, normal, it was a plain old rock, about the size of a Gil.

Trish crawled to the edge of the roof – and pegged her rock at the nearest Heart, the stone pinging off his head with a metallic 'ting', before she ducked back behind the roof.

The guard turned to the other and punched him fully in the head, the two men scuffling for a second before the man who had been hit with the rock dragged both his companion and his pet lizard into the pillbox to complain.

Trish's smirk only grew wider as she heard two metallic thuds, followed by a reptilian hiss – then a third thud.

Waiting for a minute, she flipped gracefully over the edge of the roof and through the window, landing on top of the man in the chair, his chair toppling backwards to crash to the floor and shatter into a million pieces – but the man snored on.

Straddling the man's chest, Trish pressed her index and middle fingers to the man's neck, pulling off his helmet and checking his pulse before doing the same to the others. They were all out cold, including the lizard.

Quickly moving out to the wall of the courtyard beside the pillbox, Trish reached into her bag once more and pulled out a long length of silk rope and a small metallic length, about a foot long. Looping the rope loosely in one hand and taking the metal pole in the other, she pressed her thumb down on a small button at the base of the pole, the top half suddenly snapping out to reveal four sharp, barbed spikes.

Tying the grappling hook tightly to the rope and tossing it up to the battlements with practised skill, Trish scaled the wall slowly, taking her time. The hook had clinked on the stone edge of the wall sharply, the noise screaming into Trish's ears but probably only sounding like a dropping stone to anybody nearby. Either way she kept her movements subtle – she was vulnerable on the scale up, and didn't want to face the uneasy drop to the ground if she was attacked before reaching the top.

Finally hitting the edge and placing her hands on the stony walk-guard, Trish lifted herself up and over, landing lightly and crouching low. She could see two guards walking away from her slowly, edging to the north-west, towards Tubbs and Mouse. Trish left the guards to them. The pathways had two guard-walls on either side to stop anybody from falling over the sides – and the night had thankfully made the pathway an inky black from the waist down.

Looking the other way she spotted two other guards heading her way – and a single man standing not ten feet, facing the outside inside a little niche in the battlements, his body not half a foot from an alarm button.

Trish froze. Had he heard the grappling hook?

The guards walking towards her drew nearer, their footsteps thumping painfully loud as they continued their walk, oblivious to the thief sitting in the shadows of the pathway. She had to act now or be spotted – and being spotted wasn't an option.

On reflex she concentrated slightly – to remain where she was. 

_The dampeners. _She realised suddenly. _Shit! _She _couldn't _teleport – the magic might make the Sorceress aware.

She had to do it old-school style.

Reaching down to her bag once more, she pulled out something she hadn't used in quite a while – a gun. Silently screwing on a silencer to the barrel of the semi-automatic weapon, she pulled the slide back to chamber a round – and slipped forward, rolling forth with one hand slipping into her bag to pull out another item – and threw it at the guard standing at attention.

The rock hit him in the neck, causing him to turn his head and look to where the attack had come from – but in the inky blackness from where Trish had leapt, it appeared that the guard was alone apart from his companions moving up from the north.

Suddenly and without warning the man's Orihalcon helmet went soft, sliding off his face like a wet piece of plastic. The guard blinked, looking down to see where it had fallen – before hearing the slight puff of a silenced pistol going off, feeling the tranquilliser dart slam into his forehead – then feeling nothing at all.

Trish smirked as she rolled forth, scooping up the limp piece of Orihalcon and catching the guards body before it could fall to the floor and make a sound. Her toss had been on the mark – she had hit exactly where the catch had been in the neck, just like Squall had done in their first fight with the Hearts.

Moving into the guard's niche she pulled another Hacky Sack out of her bag and, arming it for one second, tossed it out into the pathway behind her and covered her mouth and nose.

There was a slight pause as the footsteps drew nearer…before the sound of dual bodies hitting the ground signified silence.

Now safe, Trish slowly stood – and watched from her vantage point as all the other guards along the battlements suddenly dropped out of sight…to be replaced by three wraiths, their bodies highlighted by the background – before they disappeared again.

Trish checked her SeeD watch. They were right on time. Turning the watch so it's smooth black strap faced her, she pressed a small button on the watch-face, activating the microphone on the Walkie Talkie. "Garden's clear. Come out and play."

*          *            *

We're getting there peeps…soon this story will be over, and then I'll be able to concentrate on other things, like Chronicles, my FicPress stories, and the sequel!

But first…one word, thanking one of my readers (as well as shamelessly plugging something of hers.).

Barbe (Also known as Starletta) has managed to create something of an online Role Playing Game based on…yep, you guessed it, the Tournament series!! Round of applause!! Take a bow, hon!

Details on the website and information regarding the RPG will be forthcoming if you wish to learn more. Until then, keeping reading and reviewing!!


	27. Deception

Ch 27 – Deception

The window exploded outwards, shards of glass splashing everywhere as Squall dived through it, his dark-garbed body closely followed by flames, electrical discharges, long sharp icicles, and bullets. He turned as he fell, the blade of his LionHeart shimmering in his right hand as he quickly charged the Flare – and was blown back by the kick of the magic as the dark night was suddenly filled with light.

He couldn't believe how wrong the mission had gone.

*          *            *

They had stolen into the castle and had made their way through the compound like ghosts – unseen, unfelt, unheard. The few Hearts they came across were quickly put to Sleep, or dealt with in a minimum of fuss.

The team of fifteen assassins had found their way to the Queen's chambers, and Seifer had selected himself, Rinoa and Squall, Julius and Veronica, and three others to go in with them. The rest would stay outside as backup, in case anything went array.

Opening the door slowly Seifer entered first, his gunblade held in front of him at the ready, he motioned Squall and Julius in, the dark shadows slipping into the twilight-filled room with little effort.

The room looked like one for a queen – plush furniture embroidered with regal patterns were placed around the room. A dresser with a large mirror sat to the north, flanked by two large, arching windows that had patterns of angels on them. To the south, where the SeeDs had entered, were large wardrobes filled with elegant gowns. To the west was what seemed to be a fireplace, a large throw-rug placed before it, the rug seeming to be made of some furry animal that Squall couldn't identify, the pelt as soft as silk.

And to the east was the bed.

It was a massive bed, easily larger then a king sized double, with tapering posts at each corner that had spirals etched into the wood and ended with little cherubs looking out over the room. The posts had a roof sitting on them, which seemed to house a mirror – and help hold up the slightly transparent purple drapes that enclosed the bed from prying eyes.

Everybody was in the room now, all of them crowded around the door like a frighten group of children being ordered to see the principal nobody liked. They stared at the enclosed bed with awe – within was the woman whose death would set them free – or condemn them all.

Breaking the spell, Seifer took charge, pointing Julius to the left, the tall blond SeeD taking two Revolutionaries and Veronica with him, whilst Seifer and Squall took the left along with the last Revolution Soldier. Rinoa hung back near the door – not because she was afraid, but because she was their last line of defence if their physical attack went wrong.

The plan seemed stupidly simple. Place the magic dampener on her wrist, ankle, neck, whatever, activate it – and then slay her whilst she was defenceless.

Squall had wondered why it had been him who had been dealt the task of placing the bracelet on her – then realised that it played into Seifer's expectations. The Queen would most likely not bother double-checking her own Knight's movements if she woke up to see him craned over her. Also, Squall would be less intimidated by her presence then the rest of the Revolutionaries, who revered her as the evil deity she almost was.

The SeeDs advanced slowly, Squall approaching the shrouded figure in the bed with the utmost care. In one hand he held his LionHeart, inactivated but with his thumb on the button – in the other he held the bracelet, the clasp open and ready to be snapped on at a moment's notice.

He drew in a long breath, noting the bead of sweat that sluiced down his dark face. Even with his stoic demeanour, he felt nervous, maybe even a little afraid. Every other encounter with a Sorceress in his past had resulted in nothing but misery – except for Rinoa, of course, but she was the only exception – and given the power that this one wielded, he was feeling something that resembled…

He shook his head, nearing the drapes, growing closer to the woman hidden behind them. He was being foolish. He had defeated the most powerful Sorceress of his time, and had survived against all the others. He was a Knight of one, for the gods sake – why be afraid of something that he was so experienced with?

With the utmost care and with infinite patience, Squall lifted the LionHeart and hooked it into the drapes, using the weapon to draw the soft cloth over slowly to reveal the woman.

She looked exactly like Rinoa, if not more so. Her hair, long and raven-dark, spilled out around her face, framing the gorgeous beauty of her cute nose, her full lips, those eyelashes that batted at his face so many times before. She was dressed in a silk sleeping gown, the material of course purple, the garment clinging to her body like glue, showing off every curve, every muscle, and every facet that made her beautiful to the eye. He watched her considerable chest rise and fall slowly, the breasts he knew so well heaving just as they had done when he had watched her sleep before. Her hands, smooth and beautiful, lay beside her, one raised to rest just beside her face to show off the satin-like palm that knew exactly where to go and exactly what to do when he was troubled, or lustful, or simply wanting to be held.

Squall realised his breathing had quickened as he looked down at his love – but not his love. _She's not Rinoa – she's a copy. Like the copy of Deling in the train all those years ago – underneath this exterior beats the heart of a grotesque monster._

He told himself that – but his heart still weight heavily as he looked down at the woman before him, his mind flooding with the memories of happiness that they had spent, of all the years she had put up with his unique personality, how they brought the best out of one another…

He suddenly felt a jab to his back, and turned to see Seifer scowling up at him. His blond hair was hidden beneath a bandana, the long tails trailing past his shoulder as he motioned to the Queen hurriedly.

Squall nodded. He had no time to dawdle. This was a time for action.

As he turned he caught eyes with Rinoa, who was standing at the other end of the room by herself by the door. She seemed to have shrunk in size as she looked across from her side to the bed, through the darkness to see herself lying defenceless as she had done so many times before.

She saw him looking at her however, and with a small wave smiled a brave smile, giving him some of her courage. That was the Rinoa he knew.

Turning back on the thing in the bed before him, Squall knelt down on the bed, having to crawl forth on the huge mattress to get closer. He was now close enough to smell her, her natural scent driving his senses wild as they had done before. He had to fight the thoughts of him doing exactly the same thing he had done before – returning back late from a mission to see her asleep in their bed, crawling in beside her and curling up with her, feeling her arms wrap around him as she murmured in her sleep contently…

His grip on the bracelet tightened so much it almost made a creaking noise, and he loosened the grip to grit his teeth instead, grinding the molars together as he drew in another silent yet long breath. He suddenly felt cheated – if Seifer wanted this woman dead so much, why make Squall do it? As always, Squall was the butt of Seifer's joke which he called life – ducking out of the hard work to do the simple thing first and leaving Squall to pick up the pieces afterwards.

Squall made a mental note to punch Seifer as hard as he could when this was all over.

Finally pushing all his thoughts out of his mind and making it as blank as his face, Squall leant down close to the hand that rested softly beside her face. His breathing now at an acceptable rate for this kind of subtly, Squall quietly placed his LionHeart in his belt and pulled off the glove that was on his left hand with his teeth, dropping the item down on the bed. Gulping once, Squall steeled himself – before placing his calloused hand on her silky-smooth palm to steady her arm gently.

The Queen murmured in her sleep and sighed, her grip on his hand tightening slightly. Her eyes did not open.

Squall's heart felt like it was going to burst. He had never been under this much pressure in his life, and suddenly he realised it would be up to him to slay the woman after he had placed the wristlet on her – he was closest, after all. He hoped to all the gods he had the strength to follow through with the action.

Placing the bracelet over her wrist so it dangled just over it, Squall prepared to slam it down and snap it shut – before frowning.

He looked over her wrist. The skin was smooth, the arm tapering down to meet with the hand. He looked at the bracelet that hung open in his hand, judging and measuring mentally. In a split second he knew what was wrong.

Squall knew Rinoa probably better then she knew herself. And he knew, with that size bracelet, _it would not fit snugly on her wrist._

The bracelet was at least a whole size too big, maybe half if you pushed the envelope – and that made Squall freeze. The bracelet being too big…the path through the castle…the silent selection for Squall to be up front to put the bracelet on…the quiet yet heavy pressuring of Seifer to get the deed done…

This wouldn't work. It was a trap. The SeeDs had been duped.

*          *            *

Standing and flinging the bracelet away, Squall immediately ripped the LionHeart from his belt and flicked the activation switch, the blade blazing to life as all pretences of stealth was thrown to the wind. If he was going to be captured, he wasn't going to go down without accomplishing his mission first.

Everything moved slowly, as if his body and reactions were encased in sloppy jello. He sensed Seifer leaping forward, his voice sounding like the roar of a lion as he sprang up behind Squall. He watched Julius blink, stunned as he watched his leader throw caution to the wind and attack without warning. He saw Veronica jump back, her mouth opened wide in an 'o' of shock.

And he saw the Queen open her eyes and look up at him, the eyes suddenly flicking from confusion to pure horror as she recognised who was standing over her – 

 - Before the LionHeart slammed deep into her soft flesh, her scream erupting over Squall along with her crimson blood as his blade crunched straight through the sternum to sever the esophageus and trachea, separating the lungs from each other in a sudden burst, the two bags filling with rich red blood and internal fluids.

Wrenching the gunblade to the side, Squall twisted it like turning a key before wrenching it from it's place in her chest, the wound spurting blood like a oil-well erupting. The woman beneath him clutched her chest vainly, her fingers clawing at the wound as if trying to press it back together, her screams still reverberating around the room as Squall lifted the LionHeart above his head, his dark camouflaged, blood-splattered face twisting into triumph.

"For _Zell!!_" He screamed – before severing the head, slashing the energy-blade straight through the woman's neck, the pillows beneath it, the mattress beneath that, and into the floorboards beneath the bed.

*          *            *

Seifer smashed him off her in that instant, Squall's grip on the LionHeart tightening enough to wrench it from the bed as the two gunbladers toppled from the bed to the floor beyond. Kicking Seifer off of him instantly, Squall rolled up onto his feet, slashing the shimmering blade in front of him to ward off his foe. "You betrayed us!!" The SeeD shouted. "This was never about killing the Sorceress! This was about delivering us right into her hands! Well, you've failed Seifer, and we have now achieved our mission!"

Seifer's face was contorted in rage as he ripped his Hyerion from it's sheath and slashed it around him, loosening his wrist. "You stupid SeeD!! Did you really think we were going to just allow you to kill our Queen and just leave?! Think about what you just did!! Think about _who you just killed!!_"

Squall frowned at the words – before dread crept into his mind as it all rushed at him in an instant.

Edea…she had been able to stop a sniper-bullet fired from half a mile away whilst in a seething throng of people. Ultimecia had been able to sense us coming within her castle, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to lock our powers from us. So what makes Rinoa different from them?

_The dampeners wouldn't have made any difference. They mask magic, but not thoughts. Rinoa's telepathic abilities would still be able to pick us up even with the dampeners on. So why had it been so easy to kill the Queen?_

_Why had it been so easy to kill the Queen?_

_Why had it been so easy to kill the…Queen?!_

It finally hit him.

He hadn't just killed the Queen Sorceress.

He had killed a copy. A Universal Doppelganger. Like Carrie had been to Veronica, so that girl in the bed had been to the Queen.

Nothing but a copy. And alternate version.

His horror was short-lived, however, as the walls suddenly burst inwards, stones and dust flying in all directions as Orihalcon-clad Hearts stormed the room from every possible angle. Suddenly everything within him screamed for survival. He had no chance against the numbers surrounding them – and then something else made his blood run colder then it already was.

Two Revolutionaries who had sprung in from the doorway, placing a hand over her mouth as soon as Seifer had called for action, had held Rinoa. Now she was bound in their grasp, the magic dampener blinking at Squall mockingly from her wrist, her body writhing in their firm grip as she was hauled away through the door and out of his sight.

_"Rinoa!!"_ Squall screamed, surging forward – to be pushed back by Julius, his wristlet abandoned as soon as Squall had killed the copy. The blond hacker grimaced as he levelled his hands at the masses of men surging forth, before releasing his Demi.

Every window in the storey shattered as the Gravity-based magic blasted forth, rocking the very foundations they all stood on as a small point in the centre of the room suddenly turned dark – and every person standing around it was sucked into it, their bodies being crushed and compacted as they hit the ball and each other, every molecule in their system being pulled towards that one tiny spot.

Squall managed to throw himself out of the nearest window, spinning to watch as Julius ran for his own – before blasting the Flare into the room, one hand still grasping the LionHeart and the magic dampener as his other exploded in fiery death for all concerned within – before he fell.

It was only a two-storey drop.

Landing on the ground on his back with a sickening thud, the hard rock beneath him shattering in a spider-web pattern, he rolled backwards with the landing and jumped to his feet. His mind was solely on Rinoa – but he knew that, if they ever had any chance of rescuing her, they needed to escape.

Julius landed beside him, his legs buckling as he landed on the balls of his feet, the ground crunching beneath his weight too – before he placed Veronica down where he had cradled her in his arms through the drop. Looking over at Squall, the two of them were wide-eyed, Julius breathless as he spoke. "Gods! We almost fell right into their trap!!"

Squall was breathing heavy as he watched one side of the castle suddenly explode outward, a small hole the size of a man being blown out into the night sky, flaming bodies being thrown out the hole in the massive structure with random abandonment. He thought back to Rinoa, feeling the tearing in his heart as he thought of what they might do to her. "I think we did." He growled solemnly – before running for the hole.

*          *            *

Trish's world was one of confusion.

One second they had stolen into the map-room and were gathering up any relevant information regarding the Sorceress's work – the next they heard a blood-curdling scream from one of the windows.

Running to a window, Trish peered out to see several guards running across the courtyard, running towards where Seifer had said the Queen had slept. She stole a glance back at Emily and the Revolution thieves, their hands and bags still full of papers. "I think we're in trouble, guys…" She muttered, looking back down at the courtyard.

Tubbs grimaced – before pressing the ear-piece he had been given by Seifer into his ear. "Repeat that?" He muttered into his wrist-mic.

Emily looked over at him, her grey eyes narrow. "We're supposed to maintain radio silence unless absolutely necessary." She growled. Defiance was fine when off-mission – but you had to follow some rules sometimes.

Tubbs looked over to Mouse and Mother, who had also received the message, nodding to them conspicuously. "I know…" He muttered…before dropping his bag, the leather making a soft 'psh' as it hit the floor.

Trish turned, frowning. "What are you –" was all she got out before Mouse suddenly jumped at her, all 60 kilograms of the tiny woman ramming into Trish's slender build and crunching her against the window that she was looking out of.

Locking her legs around the taller woman's waist, the quiet Mouse was suddenly all over Trish like a rabid animal, biting, scratching, hitting, clawing, doing anything and everything to keep her detained whilst Tubbs and Mother advanced on Emily. The two women slid down the wall to rest on the ground, Trish vainly trying to fend off the brutal attacks that the little Mouse was giving her.

Emily looked from left to right, the two traitors flanking her looking at each other – before pulling out wickedly sharp knives from their belts, the edges winking in the light of the map-room. Emily smirked and clucked her tongue. "Tch, now now…" She said – ducking as Tubbs ran forward and slashed the knife over her head, stumbling forward into Mother's arms as Emily rolled, flicked off her dampener, and stood with a malicious grin, her eyes flashing manically as she advanced. "…silly to bring a knife into a fist-fight."

The two traitorous thieves were locked in each other's arms like lovers, Tubbs trying to figure out how Emily had moved so fast, Mother trying to get the heavy Tubbs off her – before Emily dived at them, slamming her knees into Tubb's back and causing him to fall to the floor on top of Mother.

Pinning the two of them to the ground, Emily grabbed a handful of Tubbs' dark hair and, lifting his head up, slammed his face into Mothers, giggling with glee as she heard something snap. "I've seen the way you two look at each other…" Emily purred as she lifted Tubbs' face up again – and slammed it back into Mother's face. "Good to see you've finally resolved your differences."

Tubbs finally bucked Emily off his back, rolling over and off of Mother – who surged to her feet, her broken nose spurting blood everywhere as she snorted like a wounded bull. Spinning her knife in her hand so it was held back-handed, the knife protruding out of the bottom of her fist, she advanced on Emily slowly, who had regained her footing easily. Slashing out with her knife, Mother watched as Emily ducked it – to ram her fist into the assassin's knee. The leg seemed to crumple under the power of the attack, bending backwards unnaturally, and Mother fell to her knees screaming, her shrill screams reverberating around the room even more as her leg bent even more thanks to the position she was in now.

Emily found the screams slightly annoying – so she reached out with both hands, grasping Mother's head by the sides, and twisted it at a sharp angle, a swift _craaaackkk_ of a neck breaking signifying the end of the screams.

Tubbs watched as Mother fell to the floor like a sack of wet potatoes – and charged at Emily like a wild man, grabbing a wooden chair and flinging it at her before advancing with murder in his eyes.

Screwing her pale face up, Emily tensed all her muscles in her lithe body – and slammed her palm directly into the spinning chair, the attack shearing straight through it and causing the wood to explode outward in all directions – as well as smashing straight into Tubbs' face, the larger thief's nose shattering under the impact, the cartilage slamming back into his brain and slicing it neatly in two, killing him instantly.

Falling back, Tubbs' body was caught by Emily as she stabbed the forefinger and thumb of her left hand into his eyes, squeezing the bone between them before she heard a satisfying snap, before tossing his body out the window.

Turning away for a split second, Emily suddenly thrust her arms at the stone window, the Firaga leaving her hands in a split second and reducing the stones to rubble and Tubbs' body to ash.

Lowering her hands, Emily looked over to Trish, who still had the maniacal Mouse on top of her. Trish seemed to only be barely fending off the woman's attacks, the vicious beatings taking their toll on Trish's arms. Walking forward with a sigh, her discarded dampener being crushed underfoot, Emily gripped the back of Mouse's head and rammed it into the wall above Trish's head, Mouse's face crumpling easily under the sudden impact and leaving a blood splat-mark on the wall.

Pushing the dead corpse off of her, Trish stood abruptly and took a few steps back, shuddering at the sight. She had actually liked Mouse. "Thanks…" She muttered to Emily.

The Goth snorted. "Don't mention it."

*          *            *

Squall advanced to the hole, accosted by enemies by all sides. His blue blade shimmered and danced as he sliced through the all, some clothed in simple Adamantine vests, others armoured in Orihalcon armour. They all fell to his blade as he ran for Trish. She was the key to what he was planning.

Running up a flight of stairs, heading for the spire that the explosion had come from, Squall was accosted by two Hearts, their bodies covered in chain-mail Adamantine, armed with swords. Facing off against the blood-soaked SeeD they charged, screaming battle cries wildly as they bore down on him.

_So they don't have an unlimited supply of Orihalcon…_ Squall realised as his blade, held underarm, cut the first man in half at the abdomen, his torso dropping off his legs to roll down the stairs – before Squall followed through with the attack on the next man, twisting the blade across to slice it over his body.

The man paused in his advance, watching as his sword-blade suddenly broke cleanly in two – before a small red line traced over his armour from his left hip to his right shoulder, the left arm and head sliding off the body on a slope to topple to the ground, blood gushing down the steps as Squall vaulted over the bodies and continued up.

Julius and Veronica followed closely behind, also vaulting the bodies and not paying them any heed. They had seen worse, and were trained to prepare for worse.

Coming to a wooden door Squall slashed it in half, the wood shattering under his blade and allowing them access – to a long, second storey hallway into the centre of the castle. A reception area met them at the bottom of the hall, filled with a massively long dining table and rows of chairs flanking the table. To the north was what looked like large double doors – to the front entrance, Squall figured, unless castle-physics were different in this universe. Looking about, Squall cursed. "We're in the wrong area. Go back, go back…" He muttered, turning to Julius and Veronica – and watching as their eyes widened…

…Before they all ducked, the sound of a sword slashing out of a scabbard and through the air keening into their ears, a high-pitched shriek announcing a sudden wind which made their hair blow backwards towards the door they had just used to enter the room. Squall watched in disbelief as a long, thin line was cut across the stony wall, the remnants of the door he had smashed through neatly being sliced in twain and falling off the doorframe.

Julius looked up at where the attack had originated – and gasped. "Squall…" He breathed, pointing up behind Squall, making the gunblader turn – and gasp himself.

A perfect replica of his own face peered out from behind long brown hair, left loosely flowing in the wind of the open window as he stared down at the SeeDs from his perch on a massive diamond chandelier, his left arm outstretched in the ending of his slice, the long thick sword of a gunblade held effortlessly in his arms. Smirking a vicious grin the Squall Doppelganger lowered the blade slowly; effortlessly drawing the edge of the blade across the opening of the scabbard strapped to his hip, he slammed it home and stood upright, his back straight.

"Squall Leonhart…I am called Aqual. I challenge you to a duel."

*          *            *

Julius felt his breath catch in his throat as he remembered what had happened last time a Doppel from this universe took on one of their own. Keeping his eyes firmly latched on Aqual, Julius tugged at Squall's sleeve determinedly. "Squall…Squall, come on. We need to find Trish and get the hell out of here."

Julius couldn't see Squall's face – but his emotionless voice said it all. "Go on without me. I'll catch up."

"You can't be serious, Squall! Remember what happened to Zell?! You can't beat this guy!!"

"Maybe…maybe not…" Squall muttered stoically, pulling his arm from Julius' grip and standing, his LionHeart held in his hand loosely. "But at least it'll keep him from attacking you and give you enough time to find Trish. Just move. I'll be fine."

Julius knew it was useless to argue with him. There was a determined sternness in his empty voice that commanded obedience. "Fine. But we're coming back for you, alright?" Julius growled as he dragged Veronica to the demolished doorway to alight the stairs.

"Whatever…" Squall muttered as he stared up at his double…

*          *            *

Squall would have smirked, had he not shut off every single emotive muscle in his body. His face was as cold as ice, his grey eyes stabbing and mean. His stance was loose, his legs spread evenly, one hand lazily gripping the gunblade as his other hung limply by his side. His body was covered in dark clothing, displaying the shadow that had fallen over his soul. His face-paint had been smudged by blood, crimson streaks matting his hair and clothing, giving it darker patches of crimson where it had splattered. He looked like he had just dragged himself up from the very depths of hell.

His double, Aqual, was anything but – a perfect grin on his face showing off pearly white teeth, he stood with one hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword whilst his other hand gripped his scabbard so he could draw the sword more swiftly. Standing on the chandelier with perfect balance, the light blazing from it showed the light purple gown he wore, his gunblade-belt strapped around it giving his body a very Estharian look. The opening around the neck was wide and a V pointed down his chest, giving him plenty of room to move his head. His sleeves were wide and loose, perfect for swift attacks. A slit ran up the middle of the gown, allowing him free movement of his legs. He looked like a fashionable priest with a sword strapped to his hip.

When he spoke, Squall heard his own voice crow out to him. It was oddly disorientating. "Where you surprised by Seifer's betrayal?"

"…Not really."

"Yes, I figured as much. It seems our Seifer's are our downfall."

"What have you done with my Rinoa?"

"She will be interrogated and then executed, just like all the other Sorceresses before her."

Squall's grip on his gunblade tightened slightly, but he showed no other heed to the information.

"Ah…I see you have control over your emotions, unlike your friend Zell."

"…Whatever."

"…Don't you want to know where my Rinoa has been?"

"…Whatever."

Aqual nodded succinctly. "Very well. Lets get this over with."

*          *            *

Suddenly jumping from the chandelier, Aqual flew down to Squall, dropping down just in front of the SeeD to land on his hands and feet – before standing upright, bending low, and unsheathing his sword in a singular strike, the long blade flashing through the air, leaving an arch of silver light trailing from his scabbard to the finish of the arch at the end of his arm.

Squall strafed the attack at the last second, the blade flashing over his brown hair and snipping a few threads off his head as he bent low under the slash – before coming up and ramming his doppelganger up and off his feet as he landed, slamming his shoulder into the double and, running forward, causing the both of them to smash through the wooden rails and fall to the dining room below.

Landing just a few feet away from Squall on his feet, Aqual sneered and approached swiftly, his sword singing as it slashed forth from a hip-high stab – to be parried by Squall's LionHeart, his energy-blade sizzling with it's master's fury as it cut the atmosphere in twain to slam the silver-edged sword away.

Aqual now off balance, Squall spun his gunblade around in his hand and, jumping high, swivelled the blade down so the tip was pointed at his double's back – and stabbed down with break-neck speed.

Aqual, having little to no space for error, did the one thing Squall would have done – he leapt forward _under the SeeD whilst he was in mid air_ and, turning as he skidded across the floor, unleashed a Fira at Squall's back, the flames bursting from his fingertips to blow Squall from the air and send him hurtling into the far wall.

Squall's body smashed face-first into the wall, the plaster and concrete behind the wallpaper shattering in a circular spider-web pattern – before gravity took hold and he fell to the floor, landing on his feet uneasily and turning with a bloody sneer to the double. His Junctioning made sure any magic he was hit with was nullified almost completely when it hit him – it would be like throwing water onto a rock, even with these Hearts' powerful magic.

Aqual had returned his blade to it's scabbard and, turning his body so his sword-shoulder faced the SeeD, grit his teeth. Pressing his feet into the ground and spreading his legs, turning his scabbard so the gunblade would slip out of it easier, he proceeded to rip the sword from it's sheath with such speed as to send a sonic blast straight from the edge of the sword, the sonic pressure cutting straight through the air in a single line with unfathomable speed and a sudden high-pitched shriek.

Squall's eyes went wide as he watched the attack launch, before desperately throwing himself to the ground to hide behind the long dining table, the attack narrowly missing his head and cutting down the wall behind, a long line etching slowly into the wallpaper where his head had just been. 

_I've heard of such attacks used by the ancient Estharian swordsmen,_ Squall thought, moving from his awkward position into a ready crouch. _ Men so proficient with their blades they were able to slay their opponent with single strikes that never touched the foe. But I've never witnessed it before!! It seems to cut through almost anything!!_

"Impressed, SeeD?" Aqual shouted from his position across the room. "It took me many years to master the technique. My Shear Trigger is the only sword that had ever been able to withstand the immense pressures put on it by the atmosphere around us when it cuts through the air. The trick is to slash fast enough to move with speed, but at the same time not cut the air in half."

There was another high-pitched shriek – before the dining table suddenly jumped off the legs holding it up, the wooden top lifting up high off of the legs for a second – before landing perfectly back on them, the action done so fast the legs hadn't even had time to wobble out of position.

Squall looked up at the table with utter shock. He'd never seen anything like this before. The attack seemed even more powerful then most magics!

He grimaced, steeling himself. Now wasn't the time to think. Now was the time to fight!!

Turning to face the table and throwing himself down on his belly, Squall skidded across the smooth tiled floor, coming up with his gunblade raised to the left, where the Sonic Attack had originated – and pulled the trigger, a few rounds blowing great chunks out of the walls around Aqual's head as he skipped to the side – before advancing fast, his hands curled around the haft of his blade, the gunblade already sheathed from the last impressive attack.

Squall followed through with his momentum, rolling up on his side into the wall, running up and jumping off the wall to land on the long table, his boots knocking plates and goblets off the top as he landed on the wood with a thump.

Aqual followed him, jumping up to land beside him and swing his blade across like a baseball-bat, Squall countering the attack by blocking it with the back of his LionHeart and pushing it away before swinging the energy-blade around his head to cut towards the space between Aqual's shoulder and neck – who managed to slap the energy-blade aside at the last moment with his own sword and slice the SeeD's right leg slightly, the tip of his blade grazing the skin as Squall jumped back just in time top save becoming a peg-leg.

The two men became engrossed in their battle, the war waging within them seeming to be even more ferocious then the battles being waged outside. The swords sang through the air in a ballet of movement, the clang of metal and the hiss of energy as they met and hit, sparks of blue and yellow screaming out of the meetings like fire-works spewing forth into the sky. The battle was more then simple strength – there was finesse to the fight that seemed to signify something other then pure energy. It didn't matter who was the stronger, Aqual or Squall – whoever was the more experienced would be the victor.

Spinning on his heel after pushing Aqual away, Squall's LionHeart crackled with energy as the edge of the blade suddenly scraped across Aqual's chest, causing the Heart to grunt in pain as the tip of the energy-blade slashed through his gown and cutting across his body. Blood seeped out of the long wound, which travelled from one side of his shoulder to the other. If he had been a little closer the attack would have separated his shoulders and neck from the rest of his torso.

Growling and skidding forth, Aqual's metallic blade sang across Squall's stomach, the edge of the blade only barely cutting through the SeeD's skin-tight clothing, the black fabric falling back to reveal a long scratch travelling across his abs, the blood flowing out of it to begin pooling around Squall's belt.

Screaming out with passion Squall suddenly lunged at Aqual, his gunblade smashing down on the double's own sword, the attacks as ferocious as a Berserker as the two blades crashed down upon one another, Squall's LionHeart creating long waves of blue light as it was swung down again and again, Aqual's Sheer-Trigger deftly blocking and parrying as fast as he could.

Finally slamming his blade down against Aqual's, Squall's face twisted into a grimace as both hands gripped the handle of the LionHeart, his hands curled around the haft with white-knuckled grips, the energy-blade spitting blue sparks that mingled with Aqual's yellow sparks as he defiantly pushed back, their stalemate seeming to grow into a domination of willpower as the twin warriors glared at each other over their sparking blades, Aqual's one held horizontally across his body whilst Squall's pushed down against it vertically.

Squall didn't know wether he was winning or losing or if the Heart was simply toying with him, allowing him to score tiny nicks and cuts across and along his body before destroying him utterly like Azel had done with Zell – but one thing was certain. He was giving the double his all and the double was replying with due force. They were almost perfectly equalled, their skills evenly matched. Squall knew that this would eventually come down to a power-struggle, possibly even a Limit-Break showdown if Julius didn't find Trish soon.

Gritting his teeth, Squall pushed down on the blade with all his force, willing the blade to move down more, wishing the edge would slash through the edge of Aqual's sword like he had done to numerous opponents during his time with the LionHeart. Being an energy blade, the gunblade had almost no difficulty in cutting through steel and the like, even slicing through the nigh-to-indestructible adamantine and Orihalcon if Squall used supreme effort. But the edge of Aqual's silver sword didn't even have a nick in it from the blazing edge of Squall's LionHeart – indeed, it seemed almost brand new.

Suddenly Aqual shifted back, falling backwards to land on his back and, kicking his feet out, launch Squall up and over him to smash down into the chair at the end of the table, finally falling off the large wood and destroying the chair with his body.

Aqual rolled backwards and flipped up onto his feet, landing easily and spinning to face the SeeD, who had rolled and flipped up as well. Squall blinked, watching as Aqual quickly sheathed his sword once more. He was about to use his special attack again.

Before Aqual could get his footing and stance right however, Squall deftly crouched and span on his heel, the energy blade of his LionHeart slicing neatly through the legs of the end of the table, causing the section of the table to buckle and fall, slanting the table to a degree and causing all the ruined plates and dishes and dining so-forth to slide down towards Squall – and put the Heart standing on the table off-balance.

Aqual had only just gotten into position when Squall had taken the legs out from under him, and his sonic attack went wild, blasting up into the air and cutting the balcony above them neatly in two, one side sagging slightly down, no longer being held up by supports.

Leaping back from the falling dishes and utensils, Squall back flipped against a wall – and kicked off of it, leaping high into the air and, raising his gunblade high, swung it down ferociously at Aqual, the Heart off-balance and completely open to attack thanks to his last action.

Aqual could only watch in horror as Squall came down on top of him – before desperately throwing up a Protect, the green shield springing up just in time to block Squall's gunblade and deflect him, throwing him off his opponent and back to the wall, which he crashed into and slid down to hit the ground heavily, his gunblade clattering away to fall to the ground a few meters away from him. His head slumped, his body going loose – it looked like he'd been knocked out.

"You are impressive…" Aqual muttered, his breath coming in short gasps as he sheathed his sword and held it ready. Sliding down the table he came to the floor and held his sword ready for his next sonic strike, his body turning to face his right shoulder to Squall, his feet spreading wide to give him friction and ground his body better. "But this is where you…what?!"

Squall had suddenly threw up his hands, his bottom of his palms slamming together and his arms going rigid as he screamed the word of power. "Meltdown!!"

The wall behind him crumbled as the Meltdown suddenly destroyed everything before him, blasting the table into woodchips and sending the plates and dishes flying, rendering the door at the end of the dining hall irrelevant and taking out most of the balcony above it too. Squall's body was pressed against the wall with the massive blow-back from the magical assault, the wall shattering from the pressure being forced onto it.

A high-pitched shriek suddenly peaked from over the roar of the Meltdown – before it was cut in half down the middle, the sonic strike stopping the magic in it's tracks and slicing it into two halves which screamed away from the Heart and flew into the opposite corners of the room, demolishing the rest of the wall behind him.

Letting the Meltdown go fast, Squall barely managed to throw himself to the side as the sonic-strike cut up where he had been sitting only milliseconds before. If it had hit him he would have been cut in half from the groin up.

Rolling to the side and ripping the LionHeart from it's sheath, Squall jumped to his feet – and deflected a Firaga as it bore down on him, swinging his energy-blade to bat the fireball away to explode against the wall beside him, setting one of the tapestries that had survived the Meltdown on fire.

Aqual was laughing as he drew his hand back again, this time filled with electricity. Squall's eyebrows rose as the Thundaga grew in size – before slashing out of Aqual's hand to scorch the site where Squall had been before, the SeeD only just jumping out of the way.

Gritting his teeth and twisting the LionHeart back to Aqual whilst flying through the air, Squall let off three shots, the bullets flying through the smoke that was curling up from the fire that had began from the Firaga – to be cut from the air by Aqual in seconds, the Heart neatly slicing the Pulse-Ammunition neatly in two with his Sheer-Trigger – before levelling the gunblade at Squall and, bracing himself, pulled the trigger.

Squall couldn't believe the extraordinary explosion of sound and pressure as the bullet flew from the tip of Aqual's gunblade to fly straight through Squall's body, Aqual's gunblade kicking back ridiculously high as the flame of the bullet blew out of the barrel like a flame-thrower. The bullet flew true, neatly drilling a hole from the bottom of his sternum to a little to the left of his spine, the super-sonic bullet punching into his body whilst in mid-air and blowing him back and out through the destroyed doors into the open night.

Squall twisted and tumbled on the ground, rolling to a stop just a little ways from what seemed to be a moat. He was in the front courtyard of the castle, the surroundings much like the rest of the castle – tapestries and statues of angelic people covering the walls, steps leading up to the battlements and platforms around a set of gigantic double-doors which led out into the world beyond. This courtyard was nowhere near the same size as the other – about half the size of a football field now, Squall could see many different vehicles and air-ships parked all against the walls.

It didn't matter much to Squall anyways – the pain from being shot seemed to nullify anything that seemed relevant right now. He could feel his life-blood draining out of him, pulsing out slowly with the beat of his heart. His entire torso felt like it was on fire, and his vision was blurring slightly.

He pushed himself to his feet, however, spiting out a little blood as he watched Aqual walk evenly out of the destroyed castle wall, taking his time. His double looked at Squall with a lop-sided grin on his face – he was obviously being amused. "Is that all you've got, SeeD?" He cried, walking forward from the wall to move to the middle of the courtyard with Squall. "One bullet manages to take you down? I'm unimpressed."

Squall wasn't listening, however. His torso, blood pulsing out of the bullet-hole, was heaving up and down, his breaths beginning to quicken as he called upon his hidden power deep within him. Gripping his gunblade in his left hand, his right hand clenched so tightly it drew blood, he bent his body low and screamed as his para-magic began to level.

Aqual took an uneasy step back, watching as static electricity began to lace up and off Squall's body, cutting great grooves out of the floor around him. His whole body trembling with the effect the Limit was having on it, Squall gritted his teeth as the massive attack began to well within him.

A shockwave reverberated out of him, shattering the stone floor around him in a circular pattern and causing the walls and windows of the castle to crack and shatter. His gunblade, gripped so tight in his hand the metal began to creak in painful response, also crackled with energy, feeding off it's master almost like a parasite as Squall's Limit Break paramagic charged the energy-blade, readying it for the attack that was about to be launched.

"No!!" Aqual screamed, racing forth and slashing his sword up – to knock Squall's head back, the electricity lancing up and down his body leaving a trail behind as Squall back flipped out of the way a nano-second too late for the attack to not to damage.

When Squall landed, his eyes crackled with fury and energy as the slice that had been just given to him fell open – across his face between his eyes, running neatly and horizontally across where the bridge of his nose met to trail up between the eyebrows.

Screwing his face up with determination, ignoring the blood that was now seeping out of the brand-new wound across his face, Squall finally hit his Limit, the ground around him crumbling and shattering with the para-magic energy flowing through the air, Squall's gunblade sparking with the effects. Bringing the LionHeart up to his side, Squall bent his head low, blood dripping down to the ruined ground – before screaming forth, moving at unbelievable speed, screaming the battle-cry he had screamed so many times before.

_"Renzokuken!"_

Aqual was there one second – the next he wasn't as he disappeared in a haze of blue light, Squall's blade slashing forth in a furious flurry of blows, the sound of blade hitting blade echoing around the courtyard as the Heart desperately blocked every single passion-filled attack Squall threw at him, the SeeD berserker screaming like a wild man as he swung the gunblade again and again, the tip booming as he pulled the trigger, bullets flying, blood flowing, sparking spitting – before Squall, in a massive show of strength, twisted his body – and _smashed _Aqual away from him back into the ruined dining hall, the Heart's body twisting through the air to disappear back into the destroyed room.

Spreading his legs apart to gain friction and raising the gunblade so it was rested behind his head across his shoulders, Squall's entire body tensed once more as he chose his finishing move.

From the destroyed wall came Aqual, speeding forward with his hand on his sheathed sword and his shoulder turned towards Squall, his tattered clothing rippling as he jumped across the ruined floors, his sneering face screwing up in determination as his mouth slowly opened into a bellow of power as he neared Squall – and unsheathed his sword, the high-pitched shriek of his sonic-strike echoing around the courtyard as it flew through the air towards Squall…

_"Fated Circle!!"_

Who suddenly jumped high into the air, the Sonic-Strike flying straight and true _underneath him_ – before he swung his gunblade in a circle, his own high-pitched shriek echoing around the courtyard as the paramagical 360 degree attack hammered out of his gunblade and rocketed towards Aqual!

Baring his teeth, Aqual slammed his sword back into his sheath – before slashing it out, his Sonic Strike hitting the Fated Circle – and being _cut in half by it!_ Sheathing his sword with impossible speed, Aqual slashed it out_ again – _only to have it _cut in half as well!!_

The veins in his neck bulged as, red faced and screaming, Aqual's feet suddenly shifted into the ground as the Fated Circle bore down on the Heart with speed like quicksilver, his Sheer-Trigger slamming back into it's sheath – to be drawn once more, the Sonic Strike slashing forth, screaming through the air like a premenstrual banshee – _to slam into the Fated Circle and shear it in two!!_

Squall dropped to the ground, his face bleeding as he landed on his feet – and kneeled down awkwardly, watching as the courtyard walls was suddenly lifted off themselves by the massive 360 degree attack, the walls floating in the air for a split second – before falling back to themselves, the mighty weight causing them to crack and shatter, the walls crumbling to the floor and bringing the battlements and the platforms with it. 

The courtyard was suddenly filled with dust and debris as the walls fell, forcing Aqual to jump back to the relative safety of the ruined dining hall, shielding his face with his free hand as he tried to keep an eye on the position of the wounded SeeD – before his body was shrouded by the brown dust kicked up by the falling rocks, massive stones spilling down around where he had been kneeling, seemingly burying him under tonnes of rubble.

*          *            *

When the dust finally settled, Aqual walked out of the dining hall into the ruined courtyard, his scarred face stoic as he sheathed his sword. What had once been a clean, simple opening to the castle was now a large pile of rocks, the stone walls having folded like a bad deck of cards. Moving forward to around where Squall's body had last been seen, Aqual looked down with an impassive face – before lowering his hand.

The rocks exploded outwards, being thrown up and out by massive magical forces, until the Heart had finally reached where the ground had been.

Squall's blood was splattered all over the ground here – but where should have been a paste of crushed bones and muscle was nothing. Squall had seemingly vanished.

Aqual gritted his teeth, his jaw tightening – before something made him turn back to the dining room.

A woman with raven-black hair and wearing purple robes wandered out of the hall, looking about herself in wonderment. The destruction seemed to amuse her immensely – walking up to where the stones began to pile up, she skipped along them easily, as if she weighed nothing and had not one worry in the world.

She stopped when she saw her Knight, bleeding and impassionate, standing before a large pool of blood.

Stopping her skipping, she immediately ran to his side, looking over his injuries with amazement. Her eyes were wide in astonishment as she looked at his chest, placing her hand on the cut across and jumping as her delicate fingertips came away wet. "…This is your blood?!"

Aqual ignored the exclaimed question, looking down at the bloodstain on the ground. "This one was more powerful then anything I've seen…we'll have to reassess their danger to you."

The Sorceress Queen blinked, looking down at her hand, wet with his blood – before placing her hand on his chest, healing all his wounds. "…Were you afraid?" She asked, her voice full of innocence as she coyly asked the question, fingering the cut in his gown, still damp with his blood.

Aqual hesitated only briefly. "No."

The Queen looked up at her Knight, her face unreadable…before she took his hand and led him away from the courtyard and deeper into the castle.

*          *            *

Squall opened his eyes, his arms still thrown up over his head to try and desperately shield himself from the falling stones – to see trees and a lake ahead of him, the lake reflecting the light of the moon as it slowly peeked out from behind the clouds in the sky.

He felt a pair of arms wrapped around him, and looked back to see Trish resting her head against his back. She looked utterly exhausted, as if she had just fought the entire Galbadian nation. Cuts and nicks adorned her clothing and face, and she was covered in dust and sweat, the dust caking in the sweat around her face. Her breaths were coming in and out of her body in short gasps, as if someone had winded her and she was trying to gulp air back in.

Gently disengaging her from his back, Squall let her fall back before standing, grimacing and placing a hand on his bullet-wound as he looked behind him to see the rest of the SeeDs.

Julius and Veronica sat against a tree, the two of them a picture of exhaustion. Julius looked at Squall dispassionately, as if he had just awoken. He too was covered in blood and cuts – the left side of his face had been smashed into something, giving it great long scratches that went from his cheek to the back of his ear and down his neck. Veronica lay in his arms, curled up like a child, soundly asleep. Her slightly-silvery skin was covered in what looked like purple patched that also had more silver then the other areas of her skin – bruises. Her staff lay abandoned beside them – it seemed to have been drenched in blood.

Emily walked up from the lake, carrying a piece of wood that seemed to have been made into a crude cup. She also moved like a zombie, her legs wooden and her body sluggish as she looked up – and tensed slightly to see Squall, his gunblade still activated and held loosely in his hand, wounded along with the rest of them.

Ignoring him entirely, she pushed past him and knelt down next to Trish, who was staring up at the sky with a blank expression on her face. Lifting her head, Emily spoke softly, her words like a worried mother looking after a sick child. "Trish, drink this, it'll make you feel better."

Trish sipped the water slowly before lying her head back and curling up into a ball, closing her eyes and trembling.

 "We fought so many of them…" Julius said suddenly, his voice seeming to cut through the silence that had accumulated. His tone was weary, his voice full of sadness. "…They seemed to come out of every door, every window, jumping over walls…eventually we were overwhelmed and when it seemed like we weren't going to make it, Emily and Trish showed up and teleported us out of there all at once. The strain almost killed her, but when we got here we told them about you and she just vanished from sight."

Squall looked down at the trembling girl, unable to speak through the pain. Sinking to his knees, he closed his eyes and drew on his Cure magic's, the Curaga flowing through him like ink through water – before sitting back, feeling his chest to make sure the magic had done it's thing. He raised his hand to feel his face also – to find a fresh scar in an old position. He shook his head, unable to laugh at the irony. It must've been fate.

"And Rinoa?" He asked no one in particular.

The deadly roar of silence answered him.

He tightened his jaw. "…New objective. We must find and rescue Rinoa as quickly as possible…"

"How did I know you were going to say that?" Emily interrupted, her back turned to Squall as she crouched down next to Trish.

Squall bit back a retort. "We need her. Unless we find her, we'll be stuck in this universe for the rest of our lives. She's the only one who can open the Arches to get us home."

Silence met him once more. He was right. Unless they found Rinoa soon, they were trapped behind enemy lines in an entirely foreign world.

*          *            *

_This was a quick one, huh? Did you like that twist with the 'Queen'? In case you need more clarification, the Sorceress Queen took a Rinoa from another universe and used her as a 'sacrificial goat', for lack of a better description._

_Also, what did you think about the sword-fight between Squall and Aqual? My first sword-battle…*crosses fingers* The Sonic-Strike was borrowed from the Ninja Scroll Series – my favourite anime. Check it out, if you can – it rocks!!_

The War will be showing up soon – be prepared for big-assed chapters!! *cracks knuckles in anticipation*

_Don't forget to review, and tell yer friends!! Reviews make me all giggly…in a manly, testosterone-filled kinda way…_


	28. Reason

**Author's Note** - This chapter contains a torture scene of a character. I remind the readers – I do not take prisoners. Nobody is safe in my stories. And although I will not go to some extremes, there are levels of shock that I will meet to show the intensity of the scene. Now, enjoy.

Ch 28 - Reason

Rinoa opened her eyes suddenly. She was lying on the floor inside someplace dark.

Instantly she crawled across the floor, finding the nearest wall and then the nearest corner, trying to push herself into it, trying to stop her terror from welling up inside herself. She had always hated the dark. Ever since she had fallen into the well of Oil within the Garden, she had had this suffocating experience whenever she was surrounded by darkness.

And not only that, but a large, chunky device was strapped to her neck. She clawed at it ferociously, trying to remove it – but to no avail.

It was a magic dampener. One that could not be removed either.

Without her magic Rinoa felt naked, defenceless, weak.

Pitifully she wailed, crying out for anyone, someone, to come and get her. "Help! Help me, please!! I'm afraid of the dark! Take it away!!"

Tears began to roll down her face as her cries went unanswered. "Anybody, please!! Squall!! Where are you, Squall?! Please, help me!!"

Falling to the floor weakly, her voice beginning to go hoarse from calling, she continued to speak slowly, squeezing her eyes shut to try and kill the tears still flowing. "Please…anybody…help me…"

*          *          *

Squall sat at the edge of the lake, his demeanour cool. The only thing that betrayed his calm exterior was his eyes. His reflection looked back up at him with scorn, with accusing betrayal, with unsurmountable rage welled within the grey orbs.

He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, unlike the others. After his ultimate decision to go back and rescue Rinoa, he had left the others to their own devices, walking down to the lake. He needed to be alone. He needed to think.

The others, exhausted from the battles, slept without a second thought. It was obvious what they needed to do – if they ever wanted to get back home, they needed Rinoa. It was that simple. She was the only one with the power to activate the Arches.

Squall continued to look at his reflection. Depression and self-hatred had taken root in his mind during the early hours of the morning, just before the sun broke over the horizon.

_You should have protected her. You are her Knight. You are there to make sure she's safe. Without you, she is defenceless. Without you she is nothing._

He should have foreseen the betrayal by Seifer. Everything had been way too easy. They had been taken in too easily, had been accepted too quickly. They had been put on the front line a _week_ after being initiated.

Squall looked down at the scar on his shoulder, the Gil-sized circle with the hand grasping a heart. _A sign of the oppressed…or maybe a sign of the obsessed?_ He sighed. Either way, it was to be a sign of gullibility for his future. If he ever met the Immortals again, he would ask that they never remove the brand. It would be a trusty reminder of his stupidity and weak nature.

_No…don't think like that…_ He thought to himself. _You had no idea. The concept of a band of Revolutionaries wasn't new to you. There were countless in Timber, and more then one at Galbadia. Seifer simply knew what buttons to press._

That frightened him a little. Seifer had known exactly how to act, exactly how to push Squall's buttons. He knew exactly what to do to manipulate the SeeD's minds into thinking of how much he resembled their Seifer, as opposed to trying to figure him out in a fresh kind of look, like Major Almasy.

The Major hadn't seemed much like Seifer, now that Squall thought about it. Of course, there was the brashness and the black-and-white idealism that seemed inherent in all Seifers – but there was also a sense of honour and loyalty within him, as well as a soft heart. Given the situation, the Gaian Sefier most likely wouldn't have let Squall and the others escape – he would have handed them over to the Heart with a bow tied around them.

This made him think about his other self too. Aqual.

_Interesting_… Squall thought to himself. _Azel and Aqual. 'A's in front, with the repeated 'l' taken off the back. I wonder if all the males are named like that, or if it's just a honorary titles given to them when they reach a certain level._

Squall shook his head, trying to make sense of the muddled thoughts hovering around in his mind. Without Rinoa to balance him, he felt like a stone that had too much weight on one side teetering on the edge of a cliff – he needed a counter-weight to make sure he didn't topple over the edge into loneliness and ultimately madness.

Okay…know your enemy. We've progressed far enough in fighting techniques so that the Heart soldiers in Orihalcon have become less of a threat…and, judging by the quality of their fighting, it seems they are nothing more then regular foot soldiers in nigh-to-indestructible armour. Not only that, but it seems their stock of Orihalcon isn't as easily accessible as Adamantine – although most of the outer guards wear the Orihalcon armour, many of the guards deeper inside the castle were wearing simple Adamantine armour. Easily breeched by us SeeDs.

Our doubles – Zell, Aqual, the Queen – are all immensely powerful compared to us, but aren't invincible. Azel had a little trouble with Zell, Aqual obviously underestimated my strength, and the Queen…

Squall bit his bottom lip. He hadn't forgotten that he had murdered the Rinoa in the bed unwittingly. It was an honest mistake, born of treachery and deceit, and knew he shouldn't feel guilty for it – but that didn't mean he didn't feel sorry for her.

…The Queen is shrewder then we gave her credit for. She was obviously ready for us to arrive; otherwise she wouldn't have orchestrated the Revolutionaries to meet us at the Arch and organised so many people to keep the ruse going.

This reminded him of the so carefully planned deceit laid out by Seifer that Squall had so readily gobbled up. The enemy was meticulously well informed, right down to tiny and personal details. They knew exactly what to say, when to say it, and what tone to say it in. The information could only come from someone deep within the SeeD ranks – but who?

Who would want to let Gaia be taken over by the Hearts? An impostor? A Doppelganger from this universe sent in to spy on us? It would have had to have taken months, possibly years of planning…which would mean that the impostor would have had to have been around at least during the Sorceress War…

That was very frightening. A veteran SeeD from before or shortly after the Sorceress War would have had no trouble in blending in. A lot of people were freaked out after the Time Compression had almost been accomplished – there had been a lot of weird side-effects that had almost destroyed entire cities, and people did things that, if they were reminded today, would make them hang their heads in shame. Shock, panic and mob-driven chaos was an ugly thing – it had taken months to calm the citizens of Gaia down.

During that time we wouldn't have been looking for a new enemy, especially from a different universe. We had just defeated our old one, and was ready to return to a normal life. So many changes had been made during the Sorceress War, and the after-math was no different. An impostor would have had no trouble slipping in under the radar and assuming their Doppel's roles…but who could it have been?

The choices were too many. Cid, Carpenter, Edea, any number of Squall's lieutenants – hell, any one of the Sorceress Heroes could have been swapped without anybody knowing. The deceit was ladened so deep into the workings of Garden that Squall didn't even know if there was more then one.

His musing was suddenly interrupted by a noise behind him. Instantly grasping his LionHeart and turning, his finger on the button ready for anything, he only saw Trish walking down from their make-shift camp, holding her hands up as she watched him jump to his feet. "Whoa there, cowboy, I come in peace."

Squall nodded – but kept his hand on the gunblade. Any one of these people could be an impostor, he thought to himself. Paranoia, maybe – but it didn't hurt to stay cautious.

Trish, not seeming to notice the tense reaction to her arrival, walked over to sit down next to Squall, looking out over the lake. Squall sat down in his seat and looked out over the lake too, watching as the sun broke over the horizon with her.

They sat there until the sun was fully up, breaking away from the confines of the edge of the world with gusto, before Squall sighed. "Is there anything?" He asked, his voice mute of emotion as usual.

Trish looked up at him for a second, her face unreadable. Her dark makeup had been smudged off her face during last night's battles, her beautiful look less then appealing right now. "We…" She started, hesitating and turning her head to look out over the lake once more. "…We were wondering what you wanted us to do now. You know…wether we should move out immediately or if we should rest up first…"

"Our mission is to now rescue Rinoa. The first objective is to steal into the Traitor's cave and reclaim our equipment, if it's still there. Our second objective is then to infiltrate the castle and rescue Rinoa. Our third objective is to then to retreat and regroup at Gaia to reinforce and reassess our situation. The Queen can wait."

Squall rattled off the information like an automaton, his voice lifeless. Indeed, Trish almost thought he sounded like he had nothing to live for anymore. "We're going to get her back, you know." She assured him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged it off, answering her immediately. "I will or I will die trying."

Trish blinked. "…You mean 'we'. 'We' will."

It was Squall's turn to blink now. He looked down at his reflection in the lake. "…Whatever." He said uneasily.

Trish bit her bottom lip. "You really do love her, don't you?"

Squall's face remained impassive as he looked down at the lake. "Yes."

"Then we will find her. Okay? You don't have to worry about that. We'll find her."

With that she got up, patting him on the shoulder reassuringly, before walking back to camp.

Watching her go, Squall turned back to the lake, looking down at the hand that had gripped his LionHeart tightly when she had sat down next to him. "I shouldn't have to find her…" He whispered to himself, before looking out across the lake once more.

*          *          *

As Trish walked back into camp the others looked up from the silence that had accumulated when she had left. "How's he going?" Julius was the first to ask.

"Terrible…" Trish muttered, walking over to the fire they had made and warming her hands to it. The Cure magic may have healed their wounds, but it didn't keep the cold at bay. "He sees her capture as his fault – solely his fault." She sighed as she watched the flickering fire eat at the wood Julius had gathered. "…He seems so empty without her. It's like he's got nothing to live for anymore without her by his side."

Emily came over and sat down next to Trish, hugging her knees to her chest in a bid to get warm. "He's a Sorceress Knight…they say he had a link to her that cannot be broken…if they are separated for any period of time the link begins to fray, along with their minds…and before long, you have a mad Sorceress and a mad Knight."

Julius nodded along with this slowly, agreeing and disagreeing at the same time. He had found out a few years after the Sorceress War that Headmaster Cid of Balamb Garden had been Sorceress Edea's Knight at one point. It might explain the simple-mindedness of Cid during his time in the Garden and the slow rise to madness for Edea…but, then again, SeeD had been around for a long time before Ultimecia tried to wield Edea's powers. Cid had been the creator of Garden, and had spent many long periods of time away from the Orphanage where he had lived with Edea. Maybe only when their wills were tested simultaneously were there any threat of the bond between them breaking…

Well, Squall's will was being tested right now. Growing up as an introvert to find love so easily would mean anything that meant for it to be taken away rudely would seriously jeopardise Squall's mental state. Julius looked down at Veronica, who smiled bravely up at him. Julius knew what might happen if he lost Veronica again, and had taken the opportunity to keep her in his sight as much as possible. He compared the feelings he had for Veronica for what Squall must feel for Rinoa, and noticed all the surprising similarities between the two. He'd die for her too…interesting…

Their silent musing was suddenly broken as Squall wandered back into camp, moving over to the fire as well and holding his hands to it. They were all still wearing their tattered infiltration suits, and although the beginning of the night had been warm, it had grown cold during the wee hours of the morning.

Squall had washed the dark paint off his face, revealing an expression of determination. "Okay…here's what we have to do…" He said out loud. He didn't need to gather their attention. All their eyes were focused on him.

*          *          *

Rinoa didn't know how long she had been in the dark.

She didn't know why they had placed her in there.

She didn't know wether or not they had captured Squall or not.

All she knew was that she was afraid and that she was alone.

Completely and utterly alone.

More alone then she had ever been in her life.

And that frightened her more then being in the dark.

Suddenly the lights of the cell winked on.

Blessed light. Rinoa couldn't think of another time when she had appreciated a light-bulb so much. She took the time to quickly assess her surroundings and herself, just like Squall had taught her.

She had been placed in what looked like a stone dungeon, the cell dank and grey, the stones covered in lime and mildew. The corner in which she cowered was the furthest away from the door, which was made of wood and reinforced with metallic strips lining the edges. A small opening at the bottom, much like a cat-flap or doggie-door, was the only opening. Probably where they gave me my day's gruel and spilt water… Rinoa thought to herself depressingly.

The room was actually rather big, about the size of a medium sized bedroom. Five people could have easily stood within it and had room for more. Apart from that, there was nothing else – just a lamp at the centre of the ceiling that was surprisingly bright, emitting 60watts of graceful radiance.

She was still clothed – thank the gods, as she remembered the hands of the Revolutionaries as they picked her up and dragged her away – and was unhurt. She vaguely remembered someone pushing a strange smelling rag to her face – then she awoke in the darkness. If anything had happened to her during that time, she didn't have any evident visible side effects.

Standing she walked over to the door, crouching down low to look out of the slit at the bottom of the door. Like the walls of her cell, the hallway walls outside were covered with lime-covered rocks, the occasional lamp glowing brightly down the hall…but except for a few feet, Rinoa couldn't see anything else.

"…Hello?" She called hesitantly, not wanting to draw attention but also wanting to know where she was.

Suddenly a pair of combat boots filled the slit in the wall, followed by the clank of a rusty lock being opening from the outside.

Immediately Rinoa was on the other side of the cell, her knees pulled up against her chest as she tried to make herself as small as possible.

The door opened wide – to reveal Squall, gunblade strapped to his waist, a warm smile on his face. He was dressed in a suit of armour, the armour glinting in the light, a red cape strapped to his neck by ways of a heart-shaped brooch.

Wide-eyed, Rinoa jumped to her feet and ran to him, jumping at him and encircling her arms around his neck. "Oh Squall, I knew you'd come for me!" She squealed – before the Squall brutally wrenched her arms from his neck and shoved her away, causing her to stumble across the room and slam her head against the wall where she had sat before with a sickening thud.

Falling to the floor, her mind swimming from the knock to the back of the head, Rinoa couldn't help but shed a tear in pain and fear. Why would Squall deny her like that? Didn't he love her anymore?

She was even more confused as the Squall picked her up by her long black hair and, pulling her to her feet, slammed her back into the wall before grasping her by the neck and lifting her up off the ground, making her legs dangle beneath her as he looked into her eyes with malice, her magic dampener digging into her neck as he tightened his grip. "My name is Aqual. Remember it, you whore." He snarled, watching her choke and gasp, her face turning blue – before he dropped her to the stony floor.

She fell down and landed on her knees, her hands moving to her throat as she gasped to breath, her mind reeling with fear. Why was he calling himself by a different name? Unless…it wasn't Squall?

Sucking her breath in through her mouth Rinoa looked up with tear filled eyes – to watch herself walk in through the door. My gods…was all Rinoa could think.

The Queen looked splendid in a purple gown, the robes flowing over her body much like the Immortal robes did. The material looked much like the same too – shining even in the harsh light of the cell's single bulb. Her hair was brushed to a fine sheen and flowed down her back like water cascading down a fall. Her eyes, soft brown like Rinoa's, were bright and intelligent – and also shone with something Rinoa couldn't describe. She looked very out of place within the dungeon – indeed, it seemed to Rinoa that she would be more fitting in a royal court or palace – much like a Queen ought to.

The Queen walked forward with grace and elegance, kneeling down to look Rinoa in the eyes with amused amazement, like a child visiting the zoo to look at the monkeys.

Reaching out with her delicate hand, she brushed it through Rinoa's hair with a tentative touch, almost as if she was afraid it would tear off if she handled it too much.

Her voice tinkled out of her mouth like a beautiful sonnet, the words strung together like some kind of magnificent yet natural song. I sound like that? Was what Rinoa thought as the Queen spoke.

"Amazing…you're the closest one yet…"

Rinoa blinked in confusion, her voice hoarse as it came out. "What…what do you mean?"

The Queen had something of a pained expression on her face, before she stood and moved away to stand next to the door. She nodded curtly to Aqual – who roughly picked Rinoa up by the scruff of the neck and tossed her over his shoulder before walking out of the cell.

Rinoa tried not to struggle, even if the whole ordeal was frightening and immensely insulting. The man who looked so much like Squall – right down to his cute little scar – walked out of the cell and turned right, moving down what looked like a bank of doors, closely followed by the Queen.

Rinoa looked at the Queen as she was carried, the Queen returning her look without giving her an inch. They didn't regard each other with malice – they simply looked at each other curiously, regarding each other with inquisitiveness.

Her trip was a short one as Aqual opened a door and walked into it, holding the door open for his Queen before shutting it behind him. As he turned to hold the door open, Rinoa was able to take a look at the room – and pale as she saw what was in it.

The room was small, but was more heavily furnished then her cell. A table sat in the middle of the room, chains with straps lying at each corner. On the wall to the left of the doorway was a rack filled with an array of sharp, pointy objects and spiky instruments, and on the wall to the left of the rack was what looked like a furnace or forge, a number of long poles sticking out of a barrel of water sitting next to that. A few meters away from the table to the right of the doorway was a long lounge, where someone could recline whilst facing the table with the chains.

Rinoa could see what was coming up. Panic began to well in her throat – before she swallowed it. Squall's been tortured before, and he was okay after – you just have to be strong like Squall. Just be strong, Rinoa, hold out until he comes for you.

Aqual placed Rinoa down on the table and strapped her arms and legs in, forcing her to lie on her back spread-eagled. She tested the chains once, just for the hell of it – and as she thought, they were thick and strong.

For that she received a slap in the face from Aqual, her cheek stinging and bringing tears to her eyes as she looked up at the impassive face of Squall – but it wasn't him.

The Queen lowered herself gracefully to the couch, reclining on it much like a cat would lie on it's master's bed. "I know much about your world, Rinoa…" She said in her beautiful voice, her words sympathetic. "And I know that, even with your amazing strength and skills, you still feel pain."

At this Aqual suddenly tore Rinoa's shirt open, exposing her chest to the warm air blasting out of the forge and causing her to whimper.

"And I know that, even though you are an impressive Sorceress, you have been through numerous battle without your powers to guide and help you." The Queen stretched herself out on the lounge even more, propping her head up in her hand as she watched Rinoa's chest heave up and down. "Now, I am going to ask you quite a lot of questions, Rinoa, and every one you answer incorrectly Aqual will punish you for. We will soon see how long you can hold out, being such the strong warrior-woman that you are."

Rinoa pressed her lips together as she looked up at Aqual who regarded her impassively. Be strong like Squall, be strong like Squall, be strong like Squall…well, at least it's not going to be a strange face who's going to hurt me, I don't think I could take that…

"We'll start small…" The Queen said with a smile, placing a finger on her bottom lip as she thought up a question. "Ooo, like, what is your Knight's name?"

"You know my Knight's name." Rinoa said defiantly, looking up at the ceiling.

"Oh, yes, I certainly do – but my position is a fretful one, I fear. The quality of my help has been less then perfect lately, and information can be mangled in the journey from Arch to Arch – so please, put my mind to rest. What is the name of your Knight?"

Rinoa said nothing.

The Queen waited for a second, before sighing and waving her hand at Aqual, who turned and impassively grabbed a pole from the barrel of water beside the forge. Pulling the long length from the barrel, he showed it to Rinoa – before plunging it deep into the white-hot mass blazing heat into the room.

Rinoa felt sweat trickle down the side of her face and make her cheek itch before pooling in her ear. She kept her lips thin, though – they would get nothing out of her.

After a few seconds Aqual pulled out the pole, showing it to her once more. What had been a cold piece of steel was now a red-hot length, the redness glowing brightly and steaming in the air surrounding them.

"Last chance, Rinoa." The Queen said.

Rinoa said nothing.

The screams were said to be heard from the highest tower in the castle. The dungeons were two storeys beneath the earth.

*          *          *

Squall looked up suddenly, every sense peaking as something paranormal gripped his mind with a clammy hand, a chill running up his spine.

Julius looked at him as he walked past, stopping to look back at the SeeD leader. "What is it, Squall?"

Squall blinked, looking back at the hacker who looked at him with concern. Snorting his breath out of his nostrils, Squall pushing past him. "We're moving too slow. We need to quicken out pace." He growled, pushing past Emily who had taken point and taking lead of the group.

The SeeDs had Trish teleport them as close to the castle as they dared before making their way towards the walls. When they had been within the Revolutionaries' hideaway Trish had managed to steal a map showing all the different routes in and out of the caves – they now headed to one of those routes, a small tunnel hidden by brush just a few yards away from the back wall of the castle.

Finally reaching the tunnel, Squall quickly ducked behind a bush, waving the rest of them to hide as well.

Two men, covered in adamantine armour and armed with spears and side-arms guarded what appeared to be a bunch of thickets.

Squall pointed to the two guards, before silently motioning a slitting throat to Emily. The Goth nodded slowly, before melting into the bush behind her like a phantom.

The SeeDs turned back and watched the two guards.

Nothing happened for a few seconds – before one of the guards was lifted off the ground by some invisible force. His grip on his spear tightened as he scrabbled at something at his neck – before an audible crack echoed out to the SeeD's as his neck was bent at an unnatural angle.

His companion turned to looked up at his friend with awe – before the body smashed into him, sending them both to the ground, the second man pinned under his friend's dead body.

He struggled for a second – before a man in tattered dark clothing and a scar on his face appeared above him, holding his shining blue blade high above his head – before he saw nothing else.

Squall wrenched the blade from where he had skewered their bodies and picked up the first, flinging it over his shoulder before motioning for Julius to take the second before dumped it into a thick bush. Julius followed suit before turning and following the rest of the SeeDs into the cave through the brush, slipping through the leaves and disappearing, as if they had never been there before.

*          *          *

"Tell me, Rinoa…why do you enjoy hurting yourself like this?"

Long burn marks adorned Rinoa's flat stomach, each one like a slit down a piece of paper. The smell of burnt flesh hung in the air like stink, making Rinoa gag again as she forced herself not to look at the crackling flesh. The tears still streamed down her face as she bit her bottom lip again so hard it drew blood as she tried to figure out a way past the pain. 

…BestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquall…

Her mantra was interrupted as the brand came down on her skin once more, searing the flesh and sending a plume of smoke wisping up into the air as the cells making her skin burnt away to reveal the ruined nerves beneath.

She wailed again, screaming out in pain as Aqual pressed the brand down gently, lightly rolling it along her stomach, each roll getting dangerously close to her chest – before he mercifully withdrew the brand, allowing Rinoa to catch her breath.

…BestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquall…

"Rinoa, this has to hurt. I know it hurts. But all you need to do is tell me how many Gaians there are. It's not that hard to answer. Just an estimate is all I need to know. I mean, two billion? Three billion? You must know, there was a census taken after the Sorceress War. I believe Squall was told it, as well as many of your friends. You were bound to have found out from one of them."

…BestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSquallbestronglikeSqual…

"I'm trying to help you, Rinoa. You're only making it harder on yourself by defying me like this. If you answer this question, Aqual will heal your wounds and we'll take a break. Wouldn't that be nice? To stop the pain…maybe even have something to eat? You must be hungry after all that excitement last night…"

Rinoa fought through the excruciating pain to look over to the Queen with tear-filled eyes. "Y-You…y-you killed…y-you k-killed heeer…" Rinoa gasped in haltering words.

The Queen frowned – before raising her eyebrows in recognition. "Oh, you mean my body-double? Well…to be technical, your Squall killed her…and one soul can be sacrificed for the many that may come from it's sacrifice."

Rinoa frowned at the Queen's word, confusement added to her pain-addled mind. "W-what d-do…you m-mean?!"

The Queen frowned at the girl, chewing her bottom lip in mental debate. She looked up at Aqual, who did something she didn't agree with, before looking back down to Rinoa. "Perhaps…perhaps if I told you, you might see my plight and take pity on me for my actions…"

She stood and walked over to Rinoa, kneeling down so her face was level to Rinoa's. It was like looking at a mirror, but Rinoa's field of vision was held horizontally to the Queen. "When I was born, there was more of my kind. My race ruled this land with an iron fist – the magical battle which were waged spanned across continents and lit the night's sky as if it was day. Powerful men and women, their wing-spans meters long, took to the skies and destroyed miles of land with a flick of their wrists." The Queen's eyes shone as her voice grew wistful. "It was glorious to watch the fights. To watch as they tore each other asunder, to watch as they bathed in the blood of their enemies, to watch as they grew more and more powerful, and the bodies piled higher and higher…"

She composed herself, drawing in a shuddering breath as she looked down at the horrified face of Rinoa. "Do not look at me like that!! Your universe's history has as much blood on it's hands, if not more!"

Rinoa realised that she mustn't anger the woman any more – anger meant more pain. She needed to keep her talking. Gulping dryly, Rinoa forced her horrified expression into one of confusement. "You…said men too. Men…cant have wings…they don't have…Sorceress powers…"

The Queen smiled. "This is a different universe, my dear. In your universe, only women can hold infinite magical power. In this universe, the power was shared equally amongst the sexes when Hyne was split in two. The Sorcerers, being men, were obviously the stronger of the two – but it didn't mean that they were the dominant."

"Women, having the power to pass on their powers to men, held all the cards. You see, the Sorceress power is only passed on through one way in your universe – when you die, when your time on that plain is up and the Grim Shadow comes for your soul. However, in this universe, it is much different…"

The Queen's voice trailed off as she looked away, tears filling her eyes. "I…I still remember my mother when she passed her power onto me…her hands outstretched to me as she walked forward…all the energy leaking out of her being unconsciously absorbed by my body…I had only gotten my wings, how was I to harness such raw power at such a young age?" She asked the wounded woman before her, as if she knew the answer.

"But…I managed to. It almost destroyed me, and I'm pretty sure I was driven insane by the effort, but I managed. And, the first thing I did when I harnessed the power, was try to find some of my kind, to share the power, perhaps have my first serious battle."

"But…as hard as I tried, I could not find anyone. I tore this world asunder with the effort, cracking open continents, pushing the world's endurance to it's breaking point and beyond – but I was unable to find anyone. I was the last surviving member of my race, and as such, held the power of every Sorcerer and Sorceress that had ever lived in my tiny body."

Rinoa's eyes were wide – but the Queen simply laughed. "If you think I have over a few billion souls stored within me, you are mistaken my dear – my race, when I was born, had dwindled to nothing but the best, the strongest. Many of the Sorcerers and Sorceresses that were defeated in battle weren't allowed to pass their powers on to the victor – they were left alone until their energies were completely spent. This was considered highly dishonourable to my kind – but age-old vendettas ran deep in my race, even deeper then the vendettas between your Estharian and Galbadian nations. At the most, I have about twenty souls within me, male and female."

"It took a few years of isolation before I found the portals to different Universes. By that time I had honed my powers to the point of perfection, wielding it with such force as to render mountains to dust in an instant. But something was amiss – something that I could not create or replace. My race."

"For years I studied my own magic's and the ancient texts, trying to find some way to bring my brethren back from the heavens…but the texts I had did not give sufficient information. Something was missing. Something…spiritual."

The Queen sighed and walked away, her back to Rinoa as she turned to the couch, almost as if she was considering sitting down and continuing the torture – before speaking once more. "How much do you know about the Soul, Rinoa?"

Rinoa blinked again. The Soul…once a person is killed, there is a set amount of time before they can be resurrected using a Phoenix Down. The time depends on the conditions of death and the spiritual aura of the deceased. The longest anybody has remained dead for an extended period of time has been Deling and Veronica.

The Queen continued. "In order for a person to be resurrected, their soul must be placed back in their body. In order for this to happen, the soul must either be freshly released from the mortal coil, or trapped in limbo until such time for it to escape. But…consider this…consider the power of a soul…the power to give life…consider what the potential of a free soul can create…"

Rinoa gulped again, steeling herself. "What…what are you…saying?"

The Queen turned to Rinoa then and looked down at her, the gleam back in her eyes. "A soul is simply energy for the body to run off. A soul is nothing but the spiritual power for a body to feed on. And the soul of a Sorceress…or Sorcerer…is infinitely larger then any puny soul any normal human being has. It would take millions of souls to recreate one Sorceress soul…perhaps even billions…do you see what I'm getting at?"

Rinoa pulled at the chains. She grunted and strained her muscles, the chains straining in their place as she desperately tried to reach up to the Queen to tear her throat out. "You bitch!!" Rinoa spat, her rage evident. "You're going to slaughter billions of people just to revive your war-monger race!? You're insane!!"

The Queen simply sighed as she watched Rinoa squirm in her chains…before lifting her hand, waving it over Rinoa's body, a purple light emitting from the palm. Immediately Rinoa's body atrophied as the Stop came into place, Rinoa's body like rock but still able to blink and hear. Walking over to her the Queen placed a hand on her shoulder, almost like an old friend. Rinoa thought it felt like the clammy paw of the devil. "I should have known you wouldn't have understood. You have no idea what it's like to be alone…completely and utterly alone. Even when I discovered and activated the Tidus' purely by accident, the excitement of finally finding other people were only short-lived. They were all like watered-down wine, weak and bland. My people were full of fire, of life! They were never still, they were always moving or doing something – poetry, art, war, fighting, magic – their skills were renowned throughout the universes. You must've seen all the murals and statues around the Tidus'? It's because once my kind ruled those lands, ruled them with a firm iron fist of peace and love, punishing the wicked and rewarding the just."

The Queen sighed, squeezing Rinoa's shoulder again. "…It is unfortunate that you wont be around to see it happen. You see, I am almost ready, but I'm missing something – I'm not quite powerful enough yet. Your Time Compression powers will push me way past my peak, and give me enough energy to see my plan through – but in order for it all to happen, I must have the right amount of souls."

She dropped her hand from Rinoa's shoulder suddenly, looking up at Aqual. "Heal her, feed her, then put her back in the cell." She looked down at Rinoa once more. "You are a great listener, Rinoa – I think, out of all the Rinoa's I have killed in order to gain their power, you will be the one I regret the most."

And with that she turned and sauntered out of the torture room, leaving Aqual and Rinoa alone.

Aqual waved his hand over Rinoa's face, letting the Dispel rid her body of the Stop, before placing a hand on her wounds, the Curaga healing them completely. The magic was so powerful that her scars were almost completely eradicated – where kleptoids, a very disfiguring scar associated with massive burns were supposed to be, were nothing but small blotches of white across Rinoa's tanned belly.

The pain was completely gone, and Rinoa let out a sigh of exhausted relief. Never in her life has she experienced something so horrible. The memory would stay with her, she was sure – but at least she would be able to tell Squall that she told them nothing, that she had been strong like him.

She started suddenly when Aqual ran his fingers lightly over the scars, the suddenly gentle touch causing goosebumps to rise on her flesh. "What – what are you doing?!" Rinoa gasped as his hand began to trace further up her skin.

He smiled down at her, Squall's face masking a demon's mind. "My Queen's body is much like yours…I wonder just how much?"

"I'm warning you…" Rinoa said through gritted teeth, trying to keep her emotions in check. "You touch me anymore…and my Knight will kill you."

Rinoa found it hard to mask her surprised when Aqual lifted his hand off her chest and stood back a little, his own face blank as he looked down at her. "Yes…your Knight…I wonder just how strong he is? He managed to match me in almost every aspect in our fight recently…I wonder how he would react if I revealed my true power?" He smiled then, looking down at the forge behind him. "It doesn't really matter anyways. We are prepared for the eventuality that they will come and rescue you. They have no choice. It is only a matter of time…and then, he will not escape."

There was a calm confidence in his voice that made Rinoa uneasy – and yet, at the same time, made her hopes soar. They've fought already, and neither of them were killed? Squall escaped? Yes! He's still alive – they're all alive! "They'll come for me – and then you'll see just how good SeeD are." Rinoa said triumphantly.

Aqual looked down at her for a second, a smirk slowly spreading on his face. "You are extremely right." He said.

*          *          *

The next Revolutionary died, the LionHeart jutting out of his chest steaming with his blood before being torn out, allowing him to fall to the ground. Squall moved away from him to run up behind the next one in the tunnel, blissfully unaware of any of the SeeDs deftly sneaking their way into the catacombs under the castle.

This one got decapitated with a brief swing of Squall's sword, the man's body remaining upright as the rest of the SeeDs slipped past him before it's knees buckled and it fell to the ground to join it's head.

The guards, it seemed, had only been posted within the tunnels leading to the catacombs, only strengthening Squall's former realisation – that the 'Revolutionaries' had been nothing but a clever ploy by the Queen to get the SeeDs to come with her. The fact that he had been duped so easily, plus that they had stolen his Sorceress right out from underneath him boiled his blood and fuelled him – he moved with twice as much speed as the others, killing the guards as if they weren't alive at all – merely obstacles that he stomped on his path back to his love.

The others had learnt not to get in his way, simply holding back and making sure that the guards were dead before following the leader.

Finally they spilled into the major catacombs – the Revolutionaries' Hideout.

But there was no hide-out.

Where there had been tables covered in maps, file cabinets and papers lining the walls was now just empty space. Where there had been livening quarters was just an abandoned couch and nothing else.

Stealing into the living quarters, the SeeDs saw that the beds had been stripped of everything but the frames – pillows, mattresses, blankets – they had all been taken overnight. "My gods…" Julius breathed as he moved through the caves. "It's like a ghost town…it looks like no one ever lived here…"

Squall said nothing as he stole deeper into the caves to where they had stashed their packs.

SeeD Code number 304, subsection C36 – in case of base being compromised, all equipment must be placed in designated hiding places until it is safe to retrieve.

Squall wasn't certain if it was safe to retrieve their backpacks – but he didn't care.

Going to his room, Squall squatted next to the bed-frame and pulled it aside, away from the wall. Gripping a rock about the same width as he shoulders, he heaved – and pulled it out of the wall like pulling a plug from a drain.

Within the hole beyond were the SeeD packs, their Orihalcon metal gleaming in the soft flickering fire-light still smouldering in the walls.

Pulling them all out, he handed everyone their packs, making sure to double-check all of them before handing them over – no obvious tracking devices or booby traps, and nothing missing. It looked like no-one had found the stash when they stripped the place.

Strapping his pack to his pack, Squall stood, holding two packs in his hands.

One was Zells. Hesitantly he handed this over to Veronica, who accepted it solemnly.

The other was Rinoa's.

Biting his bottom lip, he handed this over to Trish. "Keep this safe. You'll have to give it to her the moment we get her back – cause as soon as that happens, we'll be leaving. Got it?"

Trish nodded, taking the pack and looping her arms through the straps so it rested on her chest.

Squall nodded, before turning to the rest of the team. "They'll be expecting us, but if I'm right, they wont be expecting us so soon. We attack hard, we attack fast. We do not stop for anything except Rinoa. She is the only thing that matters right now. Clear?"

Everyone nodded solemnly.

"Get changed. We'll move out as soon as we're ready."

The mission was on.

*          *          *

At the bottom of the pool the rock sat in it's place against the wall, blocking the entrance to the tunnel. Still shrouded in shadow even in the midday sun, it looked like some kind of elongated, fat creature sleeping against the wall – a Cactuar without arms or legs.

Around the pool stood a number of Hearts, their weapons all trained on the rock. There were scores of them – at least a hundred in total, every one of them poised for attack, as if they knew that the SeeDs would enter the castle that way.

Not a one of them saw the fibre-optic camera peeking out of a small hole between the rock and the entrance, the little camera-on-a-wire looking left and right, up and down, before slipping back into it's hole like a Caterchipillar burrowing into the soil.

Squall had to be held back by Julius subtly, the hacker putting his body between the gunblader and the rock, as Julius looked down at Trish. "Well?"

Trish put the optic-fibre camera back into her sneaking-pack and sighed sadly. "There's a friggin squadron of them out there. All dressed in either Orihalcon or Adamantine armour. All with their weapons trained on the rock."

Squall pushed forward slightly – to be stopped by Julius. "All I need is five second…" Squall growled. "Five second out there and I'll…"

"…Be cut to ribbons by their fire and magic." Emily finished for him.

Squall looked at her, his face impassive – before he looked down at the blazing sword in his hands. "…whatever."

"Look, we cant enter this way. Lets just go back and figure out another way." Veronica said.

"No…" Julius muttered, shaking his head sadly. "Even with the front courtyard destroyed by Squall last night, this is the best entrance to the castle. It's within the walls, which means there can only be a set number of guards to defend it, plus we know our way around this area cause we've been in here before. It was by pure luck that we ran into each other last night – I don't wanna go through all that again."

"So, we plan." Emily muttered. "Anybody got any ideas?"

Trish bit her bottom lip, trying to think considering the situation…before smiling a sly grin. "How about a bit of slight-of-hand?" She asked, reaching into her pack to pull out what looked like a grenade.

Veronica smiled and rolled her eyes. "I don't think this is the time for magic tricks, Trish…"

"Oh, but this one is a real doozy. You'll love it…"

*          *          *

It was all quiet outside.

Not one man moved.

Not one muscle.

Not one movement.

The courtyard was full of statues, shining silver in the sunlight.

There was a sudden flash of blue light as something sheared through the rock blocking the entrance, a diagonal slit trailing slowly from right to left – before the top half of the rock slid down to collide with the ground with a dusty clunk, shattering on impact.

Before everyone could open up on the opening, however, something flew out of the new opening, a round black object that bounced on the ground once before rebounding and rolling into the middle of the pool.

The human mind is always learning. Curiosity is one of our greatest assets – and sometimes our greatest downfalls.

So when the hundred-plus soldiers watched a small round object fly out of the opening, naturally they looked at it.

The stun grenade went off like a solar-flare, the brief flash of light brilliant as it blinded each and every one of the soldiers, throwing them completely off guard.

Immediately after the grenade went off there was a second and third flash of blue light – before the rock went to pieces, allowing Squall and Julius entrance into the pool and courtyard. The two SeeDs looked at each other with grim grins – before Julius took the left and Squall took the right.

*          *          *

Up on the battlements Trish appeared in a puff of smoke. Hugged tight to her were Veronica and Emily, who disengaged themselves from her and set out along the escarpment towards the castle.

Trish needed to catch her breath. Multi-teleports were always hardest – but even though, she smiled. The trick to sleight-of-hand – make the viewer look at one hand whilst doing something with the other.

Distracted by the flash bang, the Hearts were now concentrating on the boys, and not paying attention to their immediate surroundings. Whilst the boys held off the men in the courtyard, Emily and Veronica would steal their way into the castle and find Rinoa.

Trish remained behind. As soon as the girls had found Rinoa, she was to be contacted when she would teleport the boys out of the fight.

They just had to hold out until then…

…Although by seeing Squall fight, they had nothing to worry about.

*          *          *

Squall was like a wild animal, his gunblade an extension of his left arm as it flashed and twirled, bodies and limbs flying in all directions as his single-minded quest became all-encompassing.

Men were in his way to his love. They would die. It was that simple.

Julius, on the other hand, was scared shitless. Dodging and ducking, he didn't have time to strategise – single power attacks, massive magic blasts, and the hope that his attacks would knock them into the dicing machine Squall had become.

Throwing himself at three Hearts, Julius grabbed the first and punched him straight in the face, knocking him senseless, before grabbing him by the shoulders and throwing him into the other two. Turning to see two men leaping at him, he caught the first and sent him flying over his head towards Squall – who promptly cut him in two – before turning back to blast the other out of the air with a Thundaga, the electrical current of a full gigawatt of energy – 1 billion watts – lancing straight through the soldier's armour and him, cooking him like a microwave oven and sending him flying into the fifty soldiers he had howling for his blood.

Squall was moving though his soldiers like a man possessed. Deftly slicing one man in half, he blasted one out of the air with his gunblade before throwing a hand into another's face – and burning his head off with a Firaga, the man's cooked shell toppling to the floor before being replaced by two other soldiers.

They all leapt at the SeeDs, some screaming robotic battle-cries, others simply running up to die. The SeeDs were in control, on top of things – but it was only a matter of time before they were taken down.

A sword managed to intercept Julius' path, neatly slicing his left bicep open – before the sword wielder got his adamantine helmet crushed with his head inside. A bullet flew true and slammed straight into Squall's torso, deflecting off his collar-bone and exiting somewhere near his neck.

One Heart, on a suicidal dash towards Julius, held both hands out with a Demi fully charged, the dark Gravity magic pulsing blackly in his hands as he approached Julius – to receive a kick to the head, sending him and the Demi flying wildly.

The soldier crashed into the wall of the pool and stayed there – but his Demi flew madly into a group of his fellow soldiers, hitting one square in the chest. His body was instantly compressed into a small cube the size of a Gil, the gravity sucking anything else close in with it, including weapons, soldiers, and pavement of the pool.

Heat and cold flew erratically in all directions, electricity lacing over whole scores of men in a wild attempt to reach the SeeDs. Purple lights and blue magic also blazed through the middle of the pool, hitting men left right and centre – but always missing their intended targets.

Smashing his gunblade into a man's midsection and cutting him in two, Squall kicked the still standing legs into a group of advancing soldiers before placing his gunblade on his shoulder and pulling the trigger, blasting three men off their feet blindly as he raised a hand to fire a Meltdown at the group who had been taken down by the legs.

Rubble and dirt flew everywhere, as well as blood and saliva, limbs and torsos, weapons and armour. Bodies littered the floor like falling leaves in autumn, and as the SeeDs grew more and more tired, only more and more soldiers ran from the castle to die.

Suddenly coming back to back, Julius ducked as Squall decapitated a man's head beside Julius before turning back to arrest another's sword as it was swung down at his head. Cutting the sword in half, Squall jammed his gunblade deep into his chest, the tip of the blade sticking out of him – and allowing him to blow another few men off their feet in the process. Kicking the dead body off his blade, Squall took the opportunity to reload his gunblade whilst stealing a glance behind him. "You alright?" Squall shouted, spitting out some teeth he had lost when a man slipped in through his defences to smash his fist into Squall's face.

Julius tore the adamantine helmet off a man's head before caving his face in with a sucker-punch, then grabbed his body and lifting him up high above his head blocked a staff from cracking his skull, the staff breaking on the dead body instead. Julius' falling attacker landed before Julius – who promptly kicked him in the balls and tossed the dead body into his arms before blasting the two of them from the pool with an Aero. "Fine!" Julius called back, bleeding from a cut to his temple. "You?!"

"Never better!" Squall shouted, slamming a fresh clip into the LionHeart and chambering a round – before jumping up and into the fray, screaming like an animal as his sword disembowelled three men at once.

I could learn from him…Julius thought as he turned back – to see another man with a staff coming at him. The soldier stabbed the staff out at Julius, who ducked and weaved around the weapon every time it stabbed out at him – before Julius grabbed the staff and wrenched it from the man's hands, smashing it across his face then turning and stabbing it into the man who had been sneaking up on Squall, using the body as a platform to pole-vault over the melee-fest that was Squall and crush two men underfoot. Grabbing a soldier and curtly breaking his neck, Julius picked him up by his arm and leg and swung him around and around, taking soldiers out all around him in a gigantic circular pattern.

The SeeDs were covered in blood, the floor becoming slippery with it as the bodies continued to pile up around them, their strength beginning to wane as more and more soldiers continued to pour out of the castle to replace their fallen comrades.

"C'mon guys…" Trish whispered anxiously, watching hidden in the battlements high above. "…Just a little while longer."

*          *          *

Rinoa could hear the battle outside. The cries and screams were able to be heard even from her cell down underground.

She looked down at the little slit in the door, remembering when Aqual had tossed her in. "We're prepared for him, you know." He had taunted. "He'll never survive the initial onslaught. We have more men in the castle now then we could ever have, and every single one is at the pool. Even your Squall isn't stupid enough to come in through the front – that would be suicide."

Rinoa could tell that Aqual had read Squall right. He had come in through the pool – but, against all odds, he was battling the Heart army face-to-face in a bid to rescue Rinoa.

She sighed sadly yet wistfully. He's going to get killed…for me…and there's nothing I can do about it…

Without warning the door to her cell splintered in a massive crash, the door bursting open and allowing a soldier to be sent flying into the wall just above her head. She quickly jumped out of the way – for no reason at all. His body was stuck in the wall, crumpled into the stone like a folded piece of paper. He was deader then dead.

Rinoa looked at the door – to watch Veronica poke her head around the door. "There you are!!"

Rinoa had never been happier in her life to see the two girls.

*          *          *

Squall's arms had just began to burn with fatigue when there was a sudden crackling over his ear-piece. "Squall, we've got Rinoa! Get ready to leave!" Veronica shouted over the sounds of something metallic shattering.

Squall turned to Julius. "Julius! Time to leave!"

Julius nodded – before being swamped by masses of men, the Hearts suddenly converging on the tall fist-fighter in one massive sweep.

Squall blanched, cutting another man in two – before spinning and, throwing his LionHeart like a spear into the chest of the nearest soldier, turned and pointed his hands at the pile.

In an instant he had Julius' paramagical signature in his mind. "Float!" He cried, casting the magic quickly before ripping the gunblade out of the man's chest and twisting to cut the legs out from under an advancing soldier.

The pile suddenly began to Float up into the air – before the men grasping desperately for a hold fell to gravity's pull, dropping off the massive collection of soldiers – to reveal Julius, still kicking, with several men hanging off of him.

Julius began to rise higher up into the air as he knocked the rest of the men off of him, kicking one of the men hanging onto his leg off before head butting the next, dropping them into the group that were desperately trying to jump up to him to pull him down.

Now having been suspended in mid air for over a minute, Julius pulled his hands high above his head, paramagical energy crackling in the air as he pulled energy from the very depths of his soul for the final attack The very air around him burst with supernatural power as he drew back breath to utter the word of power – the word that would unleash hell. He only hoped to the Gods Squall would get out of there in time.

_"ULTIMAAAA!!"_

Thrusting his hands down to point at the shining soldiers, he saw the dark figure of Squall suddenly disappear in a puff of smoke – before an ocean of power was dumped into his hands and unleashed, the gigantic ball careening down to eradicate everything and anything in it's path.

Even with the Orihalcon armour the soldiers were screaming as the Ultima destroyed their bodies and turned them to ash, the pool and a good half of the courtyard crumbling around them as they were simultaneously exposed to explosive power beyond comprehension and gravity so heavy it liquefied your body as soon as you were exposed to it.

The dark ball of death churned beneath Julius as his Float kept him high above, safely out of harms way…before the Float was suddenly Dispelled by an unseen force.

Suspended in mid-air for a brief nano-second, Julius could only gulp before he began to fall to his certain doom – 

 - Arms wrapping around his chest - 

*          *          *

 - And then he was standing in a dark hallway, Rinoa and Squall in each other's arms and in tears as they were reunited, Emily standing away guarding the corridor for any intruders, and Veronica running up to Julius herself.

Veronica jumped into his arms, silvery tears crawling down her face as she saw the state he was in. Covered in blood and almost beaten senseless by the numerous foes he had just met, Julius could only stagger back into the wall under Veronica's weight – squashing Trish in the process, who had teleported to him in mid air, saving him in the process.

"Hey! Get off!!" She cried as Veronica peppered Julius' face with kisses – before pulling him off her and hugging her too for saving him.

*          *          *

At the balcony overlooking the courtyard Aqual slammed his fist into the stone guard-wall, the rock crumbling easily under his strength. "Dammit!" He was sure his Dispel would have taken the blond one out – but no, the thief had saved them once more.

The Queen, lounging on a couch overlooking the fight, glanced up at her Knight with an amused smile. "Something wrong, dear?"

Aqual looked down at her with rage in his eyes – before seeing the look she shot at him, her eyes making his spine turn to ice. "N-no…I was just certain my men would have taken them before they had enough chance to kill that many."

"How many did they kill?"

Aqual did some quick arithmetic. "…Around two hundred."

The Queen smiled. "A nice start to the Well Of Souls then…" She said, jumping to her feet lithely and running into the room behind her.

After a second she remerged, carrying what looked like an arcane stone bucket, masses upon masses of symbols scratched into the stone lining the opening and lid. She smiled at Aqual – before opening the bucket and pointing it at the destruction down below.

As soon as the top was off there was a brilliant pulse, a wave of light that swept over everything like a shockwave. The pulse washed over Aqual – and then he saw them.

Lights. Thousands of them, floating through the air haphazardly, the bulbs seeming to emit some kind of fluorescent light that changed colour erratically like some kind of rainbow waterfall. "My gods…" He gasped, turning to see more floating into the room behind them. "What are they?"

"In one Universe they are called Pyreflies. The name is rather sufficient, don't you think?"

The Queen looked down at the bucket and waved her hand over the opening, muttering something under her breath – before the pyreflies began to be sucked into the bucket like some kind of vacuum cleaner, the multicoloured vapour-trails the only remains before the small glowing baubles were all in the bucket – and the Queen placed the lid on top.

She turned to her Knight, walking up to him and handing him the item. "And now, you will guard two things with your life – Me, and the Well Of Souls. Now come…we must see these SeeDs off."

He nodded obediently, which earned him a kiss, before he was led back into the chambers.

*          *          *

Squall burst through the doorway, his LionHeart held in one hand, Rinoa held in the other, ready for anything. Now that he had found her, he wasn't letting her out of his sight for one second. Seeing her come out of the prison cell, gaunt and afraid after only a day of capture, her face stained with tears, her clothes tattered and shredded – she looked like she had been through hell, a hell that Squall could have prevented had he not been so pigheaded and gullible…

He steeled himself, looking down at Rinoa, who looked up at him and hugged tightly to him. She was wearing a new shirt, something to quickly throw over her ruined one. She's been so strong…so I will be strong.

Julius bundled up behind them, looking left then right. "The Arch we came through ought to be this way." He said, leading the way.

Coming to a couple of massive doors, the SeeDs opened them quickly to walk into the throne room, the room as regal as it was before…

…but now it was filled with soldiers. Men lined every wall, every door. As the SeeDs turned to escape the doors behind them closed – to reveal more soldiers, clad in Orihalcon, their weapons trained on the SeeDs.

Wounded as he was, Squall snarled, slashing his LionHeart through the air. Julius cracked his knuckles wearily, getting ready for another pounding. Emily's eyes began to glow a bright blue as she prepared to crush the skull of the first man who approached them. Veronica hefted her staff anxiously, hoping she would be strong enough to beat off a few. And Trish simply whimpered.

"Oh, please, enough dramatics." A melodious voice said from the drapes in the back of the room. "We've seen too many people die today, haven't we?"

*          *          *

The SeeDs watched as the curtains were pulled aside – to reveal the Queen dressed in a splendid purple robe, Aqual by her side with what looked like an ancient jar tucked under one arm and the Queen's hand in another.

Julius froze. She looked nothing like the vision in the photo. This woman was so much like Rinoa it almost hurt.

Squall himself tenses as he watched what looked like Rinoa and himself walk down a small set of steps, Rinoa's walk with a slight, almost childish spring in her step, Aqual with a robotic demeanour about him. The two Universal Twins locked eyes, shards of lightening being traded, no love lost from their fight last night.

"Good to see you're still up and about, SeeD." Aqual spat.

"You wont be seeing long after I do to you what Azel did to Zell…" Squall growled.

"Oh gods, come off it…" Someone called. The SeeDs turned to freeze once more. Azel, dressed in his shining armour and red cloak, stood behind them. He must've been hiding with his soldiers when the fighting had started. "…It was only a Flare." Azel continued, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his short-cropped blond hair.

Trish made a step forward – before Emily grabbed her and pulled her close.

Squall, also, had to keep Rinoa from making off at the Queen.

They were completely trapped. No way out.

This is it. Squall thought to himself, watching as Julius and Veronica also came close and linked hands. I never would have thought it would have ended this way…so far from home…He was so tired. He felt like he could sleep for a week. His face and body were a collage of injury – they hadn't taken the time to heal. They didn't have any time.

Now their luck had run out, it seemed.

Which was why the surprise hit Squall so hard when, at the Queen's gesture, the soldiers with their weapons drawn holstered and sheathed them, moving away to disappear into hidden compartments and curtains, melting away until there were only Aqual, Azel, and the Queen remaining.

Squall was beginning to hyperventilate. Not only was he afraid for himself, his friends, and his Sorceress, but now he was completely and utterly confused. "What…what are you doing?!" He blurted.

The Queen said nothing as she turned and waved her hand to a wall covered in heavy purple drapes, the drapes lifting – to reveal an Arch. Activated. Serene. The purple light emitted from it's liquid-like portal almost inviting.

She turned back to the SeeDs with an innocent smile. "This will lead you to your world."

Squall slashed his LionHeart out to block anyone who went to approach the Arch. "No! It's a trap, it has to be!!"

The Queen sighed. "I understand that you've been through quite a lot, Mr. Leonhart, which is why I'll forgive your insolence for now. But you ought to take my generous offer whilst you still can."

"A one time offer, so to speak." Azel said from behind them with a smirk.

The Queen smiled at Azel. "Yes, quite…" She said, before turning to the SeeDs once more. "All I want from you in return is to organise something for me."

"Yeah?" Trish growled. "What's that?"

"An army to fight."

All the SeeDs blinked – except for Rinoa. "No…no, don't you understand?! If you revive them all they'll do is kill you and each other, just like they did before!!"

The Queen nodded. "If that is their prerogative, then that's what will happen. However, seeing as I'll be the one to resurrect them, chances that they'll revere me as a goddess is more then likely." She said with a maniacal smile.

Squall shook his head. He had no idea what was going on, or what the hell they were talking about – all he knew was that there was a way out, and they needed to take it. "Fine. We'll do that. As long as you guarantee us at least a few months to prepare."

Azel walked up to Julius and pushed a piece of paper into his hand. "There you go, nerdlinger. Exact numbers of our forces to give you an idea of what to look out for, as well as our armaments, battle stats, and all the other useless crap I don't deal with." He walked away, waving his hand dismissively at the piece of paper. "Statistic…how fucking boring."

"There are also coordinates for a planet to fight on – a War World. The ancient Angels used to use it for their wars – now we can use it for ours." The Queen said…before nodding and beckoning to the Arch. "Right! Well! Off you go!"

*          *          *

Squall blinked – before turning to Julius. "Julius, Veronica, you go first. Me and Rinoa will go second. Emily, Trish, you take up the rear. Keep the SeeD lines open at all times – if anything happens, we'll all be ready for it."

The SeeDs all nodded and moved out in a disciplined fashion.

Azel snorted at their military workings. "Geez, if it was me I'd be sprinting for the friggin thing…" He muttered, scratching his nose. "Look at em go! Do you realise we could have killed you outright more then once when you were on this miserable planet? Just piss off already!"

Julius and Veronica steeled themselves as they approached the Arch – before walking through.

Squall and Rinoa were up next. As they back into the Arch, Aqual spoke up. "I look for ward to our re-match, SeeD." He called to Squall.

"…Whatever." Squall muttered before disappearing from view.

Trish and Emily were last. Emily beckoned for Trish to go first – but Trish held to her firm. "We both go or we don't go at all." She whispered into her ear, looking her straight in the eye.

Emily looked like she was about to pull away, her eyes unreadable – before nodding and turning to go with Trish.

Before they entered the portal, however, the Queen spoke up. "The Smoke Demon isn't gone, you know."

Emily whirled suddenly, looking at the Queen with rage in her eyes. "What do you mean?!" She growled, only barely held back by Trish.

The Queen smirked – before Azel stepped in the way of Emily's vision. "Taking too long!" He announced – before giving Emily what looked like a gentle shove to the chest.

The pure strength of the push kicked Emily off her feet, collecting Trish with her as they hurtled through the portal…

*          *          *

…to be greeted by the Almaj mountains on the horizon as they tumbled off the platform moving up to the Great Arch to fall into the dusty ground of the Crater.

Trish and Emily tumbled over the edge in a sudden panic – to be caught by two SeeDs at the bottom at the last second, the two mercenaries looking down at the girls in amazement. "By Hyne…they made it!"

The rest of the team looked over the edge. "Are you alright?" Veronica called.

Trish looked up weakly and gave a thumbs up.

The landscape had changed since they had entered – before it had been barren with only a few tents here and there for the Guards and scientists. Now there were buildings, quickly placed all around the Arch, almost like a tiny village. Amazing how things can change when you've been gone for a month…Squall thought to himself as he looked down to the houses – to watch as one of the doors were flung open, the cottage releasing what looked like a very flustered Carpenter.

The Commander-In-Chief of all the Gardens ran to the scaffolding, taking the steps two at a time to finally approach Squall and the others, who had collapsed with exhaustion now they were in safe hands. "Commander Leonhart! What the hell has been going on?! Where the hell is Dincht? Why haven't you been giving your status reports?"

Squall shook his head. The man looked like he had just been woken up from a nap, his brown hair tousled, his clothing wrinkled. It was obvious he didn't exactly care about the state of the team. "Sir…" Squall muttered, managing to push himself to his feet, Rinoa still holding loosely onto one of his hands as he pulled off his pack and dropped it to the floor with exhaustion. "…The mission was compromised before we even begun. We've had spies working against us since the start…and Zell…" Squall tightened his jaw. "Zell's dead, sir. We failed the mission."

Carpenter looked like he was about to blow a sprocket. "What the fuck do you think we're paying you people for, dammit?! Get back in there and kill that Sorceress!!"

Squall narrowed his eyes. Strange…Carpenter has never acted like this before… "Excuse me, sir, but did you just hear me?"

"All I heard were excuses from a failed SeeD!! Now move out, gods damn it!"

Squall shook his head in disgust and sat back down heavily, letting Rinoa rest her head against his shoulder. "It would be best to wait for a briefing before we send a fresh team back out, sir. Until then, we need rest. We just fought the entire Heart Army to get out, and we're not going back in until we're properly recovered."

Carpenter looked lost. He stood there, seemingly unable to believe what the gunblader was saying – before turning and stalking off. "Briefing in exactly fifteen minutes, Mr. Leonhart! My Cottage!" He shouted over the sound of the wind as it picked up – before he vanished.

"Asshole…" Veronica muttered, hugging close to Julius.

They were beat. They had fought so hard, raged hell over four different universes, only to come back to an unappreciative commander. It didn't help moral.

Rinoa tugged on Squall's sleeve and pointed at the magic dampener on her neck. "Can you get this off me, please?"

Squall nodded, finding the release mechanism and, grabbing a small knife out of Trish's sneaking pack, opened a panel and ripped out a few wires. A couple of sparks and a short later, and the thick necklet was off Rinoa.

Gripping the metallic device and throwing it up into the sky, Rinoa pointed her finger at it – where it exploded into a million pieces. She lay back on Squall, smiling up at him. "Thankyou."

Squall nodded, his face absent. "Now we're back…and safe for the time being…I can only think about Zell…"

Rinoa nodded. "We…we ought to be the ones to tell Ma…"

Squall nodded again, lying back on the scaffolding. He was too tired now. He needed rest. He needed to sleep. He needed…

Rinoa stood suddenly, grabbing at his hand. "Come on!"

Squall blinked. "Now?! But…we need to debrief Carpenter." He said meekly. It was an excuse really. He just…didn't feel like telling Ma the news now.

"If not now, then we'll never do it!"

Squall scowled at her – before nodding. "Very well…lets go…"

*          *          *

"And that's about it, Zell. In a few days from now we will begin to prepare for War. Judging by the information given to us by Azel, we're going to be needing as many men as possible – and Gaia will not be enough. We're going to have to recruit from different Universes – Earth, Te'Get, possibly even Crisp now we know what we're dealing with there."

The hologram of Squall sighed, looking away from the Moomba for a second at someone, before looking back into it. "In the doll are the co-ordinates of the War World. If you do ever receive this message, just remember that there will be U-Twins – impostors – who will stop at nothing to try and dupe you. So remember this line – 'Slayer, Hunter, Pilot, Saviour, Sorceress, Leader'. We'll use it to make sure that you're you, and I'm me."

Squall looked down at the ground suddenly, his voice breaking at the last sentence, before Rinoa came into the picture, hugging him close as he began to sob. "He'll get it…I know he will…" Rinoa said, her voice distant and tinny as she reassured the gunblader – before the hologram shut down.

Zell sat back in his chair. So much had happened. He had missed out on so much, it was unbelievable.

The Sorceress Queen wants a War with our Universes so she can resurrect her dead folks…Zell wondered, trying to replay everything back in his mind all at once. And by the sounds of things, she's going to need billions of souls to do it…

He stood slowly, collecting the Moomba from the table. The little doll meeped up at him, causing him to stroke it's fur absently, making it snuggle into his arms and purr mechanically. They thought I was dead…but they made it anyways. That's…that's…

He came up to his bedroom and looked in. Angel…Dee was sleeping in his bed peacefully. Thankfully the recording didn't wake her…although he was going to have to show it to her. Oh Angel…do you think I'm alive too? Or do you think I'm a goner like Squall?

He slept on the couch that night. It was uncharacteristically uncomfortable.

*          *          *

Enjoy that? Sheesh, these chapters are getting LONG!! My hands hurt!! Wheyhey, 13,000 **words**?! 29 **pages**?! Faaaark…if you find any spelling or grammar mistakes, please don't give me too much crap. You know why. Don't give me that, you do too!!

Well, the long-awaited sequence has finally arrived. Yup, you guessed it – the next few chapters will be all on the Universal War – and we get to pick back up where I left off with Zell! Yay!!

Keep reading and reviewing, and I'll continue giving myself arthritis typing this bad-boy out! BOOYA! I'm getting excited!! 


	29. War Of The Worlds

Ch 29 – War of the Worlds

Zell's sleep had been uncomforting, to say the least. He had awoken to find his mouth full of a bad taste, as if he had been chewing on Gyshal Greens all night long. His spiky hair stuck out from all angles, as if someone had touched a live-wire to his foot, and his eyes were red and puffy.

He swung his legs out so he was sitting on the couch and placed his head in his hands. "Gods…this is gonna suck big time…" He muttered to himself.

They had finally found a way back to his world. He had hoped to find his friends alive and well – a little shocked at his appearance, but well none-the-less. And now he's found that they've gone to war. Again. Another damn Sorceress War. This was the second Zell and the others had been through, and Zell prayed that it was the last.

_No time to whinge about it…_Zell thought, standing and stretching his arms out wide, his bones cracking audibly as he growled with the stretch. _Gotta get a move on and fill in Dee and Ma before getting to the War World…_

Dee and Ma sat back, astounded by the recording. "I never knew Squall was such a good storyteller…" Ma breathed, one hand to her chest whilst another grasped the arm-rest of the couch. "It's like I was really there…"

Zell smiled a little from where he was leaning against the wall, looking down at the Moomba with a distant gaze in his eyes. "Yeah…Squall's full of surprises…"

Dee chewed her bottom lip, thinking hard. She was still dressed in her travelling clothes from the day before, Ma in her nightie – Zell hadn't intended to wake her up, but Ma obviously had been too excited to sleep and Dee knocked over his T-Board as he got her up. As soon as the two warriors had exited the room, Ma had scurried down to the kitchen and began to make breakfast.

Dee leaned forward and grabbed a note-pad and pen from the table and wrote down the co-ordinates for the 'War World' – it was in the magical symbols that Julius had found and deciphered with Rinoa's help. "These must be special Angel symbols…" Dee said as she wrote them down. "Unique to only the Arches. They show the certain magic's that open certain universes if cast simultaneously. Thankfully the Universal Edge can interpret them into a viable Tear – I just gotta enter the symbols into the Blade, then we can get going."

Zell smirked. "Just that simple, huh? Cool…"

Ma nodded, standing upright abruptly, her voice full of concern. "So…you're leaving again so soon? You only just got back…perhaps you ought to rest here for a few days…"

Zell could see the pained expression on her face, and stepped forward to embrace her tightly, giving her a warm hug. "I'm sorry ma – I wish we could stick around a few days, but time is important here. We've already been gone for so long – we need to show these creeps who's boss, huh?"

Ma sighed, patting him on the back. "I know that…it's just I don't want to lose you when you only just came back…both of you." She said, looking down to Dee with a sad smile.

Dee looked up from her note making. "Don't worry Grandma." She said with confidence. "Daddy and I are the best fighters in all the universes! We'll be fine."

Ma and Zell laughed out loud. "Well well, she's got your stubbornness too!" Ma said, jabbing Zell in the guts with her elbow.

Zell rubbed his tummy and chuckled, before getting a pained expression on his face as he scratched the back of his neck anxiously. "Aiyaaa, don't remind me…" He said with a playful grimace. Dee just stuck her tongue out at him before throwing the note-pad at him, Zell catching it easily and looking down at it. "Okay, we're all set then?"

Dee nodded, placing the blade down on the table. "Yup! Can we have a shower or something before we go? I slept in my clothes last night…"

Zell ran his hand through his haphazard hair and chuckled. "Yeah, okay hon. Go and have a shower and I'll have a word to grandma, okay?"

Dee nodded obediently and jumped to her feet, giving Ma and Zell a kiss on the cheek each before bounding up the stairs to the bathroom. Ma turned to Zell with a gigantic smile and heaved a loving smile. "She's so cute!"

Zell nodded absently. He couldn't agree less – it was like she was a little child, always playful and happy. But that was what bothered him – she was younger then she looked emotionally, and acted that way. He would have to keep an eye on her when they went into the War World – especially since they'd be interacting with men and killing people too. Those were two factors that Zell wanted to keep as far away from her as possible right now – but he also knew eventually she would be exposed to both and that he would be powerless to stop it.

He only hoped that, on the battlefield, she stayed strong and didn't wig out like most first-time student do when they enter the battlefield.

Zell shook his head to clear his thoughts and turned to Ma. "Look Ma…I don't want you to worry about us." He said, placing his hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry for what I put you through…and this time, I'm not going to say bye. I'm _promising_ you that me, Dee and Angel will all come back, no matter what. Okay?"

Ma looked up at him with tears in her eyes – before giving him a soft slap on the chops. "C'mon Zell – of course you're coming back. You said you would last time, didn't you?"

He nodded with a grin, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah…yeah, I did, didn't I…"

"So I don't want any goodbyes and I don't want any promises. You're coming back here, you're marrying Angel, and you're going to go on with your life, okay?"

Zell looked down at his boots, a pained and embarrassed expression on his face. "Aw Ma, will you quit it on the marriage thing?"

Something snapped in Ma's mind, and she suddenly grasped him by the shirt, her voice forceful and stern as she pushed him against the wall and looked him deep in the eyes. "Zell Dincht, you're obsessed with that girl and she's infatuated with you! When you return you will marry her or I'll beat you senseless, understand?!"

Zell, wide-eyed and shocked by his mother's sudden outburst, simply gulped and nodded. You did not want to anger Ma Dincht. "Y-Yes ma'am!"

"Good boy." Ma said, suddenly a picture of calm and control once more as she let him go and smoothed out his shirt – but her voice was still slightly stern. "It's about time you got your act together concerning her, Zell. I've left you on your own for too long now, but now I'm putting my foot down. You've got a daughter now – even thought she's old enough to live by herself – and I'll be damned if she's going to be raised around here by a single father, understand?"

Zell looked down at his boots again, thoroughly cowed. Everything she said was true, of course. "Yes ma'am…"

"Good. Now go and have a shower after Dee – you're still wearing your same clothes as yesterday too. I'll clean the kitchen up and make you two breakfast – you're not going anywhere until you've had something to eat, right?"

"…Right…"

Ma smirked at Zell. Deep down, he was a mamma's boy – and she exploited it as much as she could. Giving him a kiss on the forehead she turned him around and gave him a gentle nudge to the stairs. "Well, go on – Squall and the others wont be waiting, you know."

Zell nodded with a smile and took the stairs two at a time.

Dee burped from the pit of her stomach, the belch seeming to echo around the walls of the little town as they walked down to the Pier, where Ma had said she would meet them before seeing them off. She had something to gather before they went, and had made them promise her that they wouldn't leave before she gave it to them.

Zell laughed out loud – before clearing his throat and gave her a gentle whack on the back of the head. "Oi, I thought the Immortals taught you something called manners?" He joked.

Dee bit her bottom lip and looked down at her shoes as they walked. "...Sorry Dad."

"That's okay…just do it like this next time…" He said – before letting off a big, meaty burp that seemed to come from his ankles and rattle it's way through his intestines and stomach before being expunged from his open mouth. Looking down at her, he opened his arms wide and said, in a loud clear voice, "'Excuse me'. That way people wont call you as much of a pig if you do it around them, alright?"

Dee nodded enthusiastically, before gulping down another breath as ammo for another burp.

Zell beamed with pride as she let off another one. _Yeah – being a father is easy as sin._ He thought to himself as she excused herself – then giggled as he gave her a noogie for being polite.

Reaching the pier and looking out over the sea, Dee ran up to the edge of the dock and looked over the side to watch the silvery Balamb Fish sluice through the water with reckless abandon. It was rare that the Immortals ever saw the beach – Dee's city was in the middle of a large continent, and the Immortals there were content with living within the Everlasting Forest as opposed to the Wide Blue Depths. Lying down on her belly, Dee rested her head on her arms and watched the fish frolic amongst the seaweed and Draw points within the clear blue water.

Zell came over and sat down next to her, dangling his legs over the edge as he looked back to the path they had walked down to get there. He had been amazed at how many people had simply stared at them as they walked through the village – sure, they had gotten word that Zell had been killed irreversibly, but that didn't give them the right to stare at him.

Right now the old man from the Weapon Shop walked down, approaching the SeeD cautiously. "…Zell? Is that you?"

Zell smiled up at the old man. "Hey there Mister Waters. How's business been?"

"Oh, fine Zell fine…I've been looking over the design of your gauntlets like you ask me to before you…left, and I found a few things I'd like to try…"

Zell waved him away. His gauntlets were strapped to the back of his pack, hanging loosely from the top. "Nah, don't worry about it, Mr. Waters. I've gotten it all sorted."

"Oh…very well." The old man stood there awkwardly for a second, looking out over the ocean – before speaking. "We didn't think you'd be coming back."

Zell had to smile at that, and looked out over the ocean along with the old man. "You've known me all my life, Mr. Waters…you know I'm full of surprises…"

"Yes, of course. Well…it's good to see you again anyways. I'll be sure to tell Baku that you've returned."

"Thanks." Zell said gratefully with a nod, watching as the old man walked away.

Dee looked up at Zell from her supine position with an inquisitive look. "Who was he?"

"He's the guy who made me my first set of Dueling gloves, as well as introduce me to my master, Baku."

Dee rolled over to her side, looking up at him with wide eyes. "Is this Baku any good?"

Zell smirked at her. "Yup. He taught me everything I know and then some – but he's an old man now, hon. He lives up in the mountains and meditates – I don't think he's got all his marbles left, if you know what I mean."

"…Would you introduce him to me when we come back?"

Zell blinked. "What for?"

Dee looked back out to the ocean with a small smile. "…I don't know…I guess I just want to know where you came from, that's all…"

The Hunter smirked, patting Dee on the shoulder. "There'll be plenty of time for that after we've finished all this…I swear it, babe."

Before Dee could answer Zell stood upright to look down the road – Ma was coming. The older woman approached the two of them smiling a sad smile, walking up and giving them both big hugs before standing back and look at them, almost as if to burn their image into her mind, before producing something from the folds of her skirt – a camera. "Okay you two, scoot together and gimme a big smile."

Zell grinned a big smile as he hooked his arm around Dee's neck and began giving her a noogie, rubbing his knuckles into her hair as she squealed in protest and tried to disengage his grip.

The camera flashed.

It was exactly what Ma wanted.

Zell pulled on his gauntlets slowly, twisting the wrist-lets to engage the clamp down on his forearms. The Uber Ehrgiez gauntlets came up almost half-way up his forearm, allowing it to sit more snugly – the wrist-area was loose and flexible, giving full movement. The fingers also had full movement, and when he made a fist the sheets protecting them stuck out slightly, giving it an almost spiky look. The silver one glinted in the sunlight menacingly, reflecting the light perfectly. The red one, stained irreversibly with his own blood, also picked up and reflected the light perfectly – he had gone to Grease Monkey to see if he could clean it, but Monkey had said the force of the blow had made the blood seep into the adamantine – turning the silver metal blood red instead.

Dee looked down at the gauntlets enviously as she pulled on her own gloves. Zell spotted her staring and smirked at her, to which she just pouted and looked away.

Dee sported an extra copy of Zell's old Ehrgiez gauntlets, the thick leather having to be tightened a little more around her supple hands as opposed to Zell's larger, flatter paws. The adamantine covering across the knuckles fitting snugly on her hand, as well as the plate-armour across the fingers. They were old-school – but they still kicked ass, which was why Zell had given them to her.

"I still don't see why we cant just take a day or so to get me some of those made…" Dee said pettily, pouting as looking down at the Uber Ehrgiez. "This….Grease Monkey ought to still be here, right?"

Zell chuckled and shook his head, lacing his fingers and pushing them together to make doubly sure the gauntlets were on tight. "Hon, the trip from here to FH is a good day or so away, and even if we did get to Grease's place, the chance that he wont be home is friggin huge! I mean…the guy can take a tin can and a ball of string and make shit I've never even heard of before, it's incredible!"

Dee simply pouted again and drew the Universal Edge from it's sheath at her hip, flicking it open with the flick of a wrist and looking at him. "Okay. You ready?" She muttered – before turning and walking away to a safe distance.

Zell rolled his eyes and followed her, trying to save face. "C'mon hon, it makes sense…don't give me the silent treatment…hey, talk to me! I'm yer father, dammit! Damn teenagers…"

Dee was giggling as she placed the Blade to a reasonable height, having entered the coordinates to the WarWorld and, jabbing it into the universal thread, swiped it down with one clean slice.

Zell immediately grabbed her arm and pulled her back as an explosion suddenly broke through the Tear, flames and shrapnel flying in all directions as the Tear fell open – to reveal chaos.

The world was barren and desolute, almost completely flat from what Zell could see. The Tear had been opened on some kind of cliff-side, looking down the world – and what a world. The sky was blood red and spotted with dark clouds, a cold and indifferent sun blazing down on the ground with little to no mercy. The rocks were as red as the sky, their dust being kicked up and filling the air like smoke from a massive bonfire.

But that wasn't what made Zell gasp in astonishment as he lifted his head from where he had shielded Dee.

The field below, spanning out in all directions for an infinite amount of space, the horizon ending just at the edge of the blood red sky, was filled with a massing, writhing, undulating heap of bodies and fire.

Weapons glinted, gunfire sprayed, and blood spurted in all directions. There must've been miles upon miles of ground from where Zell was looking, spanning in almost all directions – and every shred of ground was covered in people, every single one of them fighting. There must've been hundreds of thousands – no,_ millions_ of people within the area down below, every single one of them fighting to protect themselves and to defeat their opponent as quickly as possible so they could move onto the next one.

The sound was deafening. Battle cries and the ring of metal striking metal, wood smashing into wood, flesh thumping into flesh, the roar of a cannon, and the metallic spurt of machine gun fire – everything poured into the Tear like a flood smashing through a dam, bursting forth and swamping the two warriors with reckless abandon.

Zell looked down at the mass, picking himself up and poking his head out to gather a better look. He was right, the masses spanned for hundreds of miles in both directions.

Looking back and giving Dee a hand up, Zell looked back on Balamb. Blue skies and white, pristine buildings met his gaze. It looked like heaven compared to the horror he had just witnessed. And, looking down at his daughter, she looked like an angel within that heaven, fragile, beautiful, innocent. He knew that, if he was to take her into this hell, into the fray, into death, that that innocence would be lost completely, torn from her raped mind like a frayed cloth torn from a beaten body.

He steeled his mind and reached down, his blood-red hand open and outstretched towards her. "You ready, Dee?"

Dee nodded, her eyes wide as she too took one look back at Balamb, the calm before the storm – and grasped the hand.

Gripping her hand tightly, Zell blew out his breath – "Don't think, just _fight!!_" He screamed at her – before spinning and _throwing her through the portal!!_

"I'm a fucking idiot!!" Zell screamed to himself – before throwing himself out the slowly reforming portal, flying straight out of the portal and screaming down to the masses…

…To slam into a group of people. A gun went off suddenly beside his head, and he lashed his hand out to crush the gunner's skull before ducking a sword slash, the sword coming around again – to be caught by Dee's hand as she gripped the flat of the sword – and pushed her palm out, breaking the man's spine in half before picking him up bodily and throwing him…_away_.

There was no side for Zell and Dee. For them, everyone was in enemy, having no real way to tell the difference between friend or foe, ally or not.

Zell jumped forward, tackling three men at once, bringing them all down to the ground – which was littered with broken bodies and weapons, the stench of dead flesh rising as they toppled to the ground. Zell felt like puking – before he back flipped up and off the men and, whilst in mid air, pointed his hand to them – and blasted a Firaga at them, the space where they had been standing as well as them men around them suddenly going up in flames, their bodies scorched beyond recognition, a painful death coming swiftly.

Landing atop a man, his shoulders cracking as Zell stomped down with the landing, the Hunter threw his hand up – arresting a staff in mid-swing, pulling the staff-wielder towards him and head-butting him viciously, knocking the poor man out – and giving Zell a weapon.

Tossing the man aside Zell twirled the staff in his hands, flipping it around in his fingers to gather a feel for the weapon – before stepping forward, bringing the pain to the enemy. The first three men jumped forward, two armed with swords whilst another was armed with a dagger. Zell suddenly jabbed the pole forward, taking one man in the stomach and, following through with the movement, Zell picked the man up and _slammed_ him down into the ground, the body hitting the littered floor with a fleshy _squish_ before he turned and slashed the end of the staff out, taking five men across the face and knocking them all back – before looking up as one man, screaming bloody murder, leaped forward, his sword raised, his face twisted in mad determination – to have the end of the pole stab out, taking him in the face and sending him spiralling backwards as Zell thrust it out before spinning and slamming it into the side of another man's head like a baseball bat, the sound of a skull being crushed being engulfed by the sounds of war around them.

Dee had taken up two swords from a fallen foe, the light blades flashing in the dark red twilight of the world's atmosphere as the bodies of the men around her piled up. Flicking and twirling the twin blades like they were extensions of her own hands, Dee stepped forward and cut and diced her way deeper into the fray, body parts and limbs flying all around her, blood spraying over her blond hair and flawless features, twisted in effort and horrified beyond all hope as she moved on auto-pilot, killing indiscriminately, her weapons nothing but pure skill and a raped innocence.

Her voice screamed out over the rest of the noise as she leapt forward, ramming her knee into a man's head and crushing his skull as her blades swept through to decapitate the two men beside him, their heads flying up high into the sky as their bodies fell, spinning and ejecting blood in short spurts – before being cut straight down the middle as Dee twirled the blades again, the left one being arrested by an adversary's sword – before her right cut him diagonally from the left shoulder to the right hip, the sword slicing straight through what little armour the man had and exiting from the right hip, blood  dispersing in all directions as she knelt low to avoid what looked like a mace flying over her head – before stabbing both her swords out, taking the man in the groin and lifting him up over her head, sending him flying out into the background – before pausing, horrified and off-balance, as a man flew towards her with his own sword raised…

…Before a pole, thrown like a spear, took him in the chest and knocked him back, sending him flying back into the fray. Dee spared a swift glance behind her – to see Zell, his hand still outstretched from the throw, his other hand grasping a man by the face and lifting him up off the ground. "Stay focused!!" Zell screamed over the roar around him, blood and bits of flesh covering him as well as every other man and woman in the surrounding areas – before crushing the man's head with a single squeeze and tossing him to the side like useless refuse.

Dee nodded – and turned her head back to block a sword as it crashed down towards her head, bringing her duel swords up in an X to lock the attacker's weapon in place – before suddenly throwing herself through his legs, her lithe body slipping through his spread legs easily as she came up – and ran the sword up and through his groin, coming up and following though with the slice to slam her swords deep into a man's shoulders, the twin blades getting stuck deep into his torso and unable to be pulled out – so she simply charged forward with the man still stuck on her sword, using him as a platform to flip up and over his dead corpse to land in amongst a new number of enemies.

Zell turned his head, grabbing a pistol from a man's hand and whipping it across his face before spinning it on his finger, hooking the metal finger in the trigger and turning to blast off the entire clip at a group of men – then throwing the gun at an advancing man before throwing his hand out, fingers splayed, palm up and flat – before the Meltdown blew them all to smithereens, the beam of non-elemental energy creating a deep chasm of eradicated bodies, the sudden break of space being filled up immediately as the people around him ignored the sudden burst of magic and continued to fight each other.

Zell frowned, backhanding one man aside before grabbing another one by the lapels and head butting him out of existence. _There's no break in the fighting. There ought to be some kind of retreat planned, right – we've been fighting for almost a good fifteen minutes. There must be some kind of point to this besides mindless slaughter…unless…_

Zell looked left and right quickly, trying to find his daughter.

His whole body chilled to the bone as he suddenly realised – _she was nowhere to be seen!!_

"DEE!!" Zell screamed, his voice being washed over by the screams of the warriors around him and the roar of magic and gunfire – before he saw her.

In the middle of a mass of men, Dee was an unstoppable killing machine, her eyes wild, bodies and limbs flying in all directions. Grasping a man by his chest, Dee suddenly and with supreme effort _tore his sternum from his ribcage_, before stabbing it deep into an advancing man's face, digging the bony plate deep into the man's eye – before releasing it to backhand another man's advancements, sending him spiralling into the group that advanced on her. She screamed a guttural scream before launching herself at them, running forward to clothes-line the lot of them, taking two men down and crunching them into the body-littered ground before back flipping out of the way as a machine gun roared into life, jumping on and off men's heads as the machine gun tore them all to shreds, her movements as delicate and precise as a ballerina – before she leaped from one man's shoulders and, throwing her hand back towards the machine-gunner, let off a massive Blizzaga, the Ice magic shattering in mid air to scatter all around her target, shredding him to pieces as well as several other men…

…Before Zell ran forward and caught her in his arms. She suddenly slashed out with her hand, which he deftly deflected – and backhanded her across the face, sending her sprawling to the ground.

Leaping atop her back before she could stand, Zell made the magical sign of Dispel on her back and slammed his palm into it, the magic coursing through her body instantly – and causing her tension to release.

"Daddy!!" Dee cried – before Zell picked her up and pulled her out of the way of a massive mallet, the weapon slamming into the ground only inches from where her head had just been.

Zell span her away – before turning, gripping the mallet's head in his arms and, ripping it from the giant who was wielding it, pulled it back – and slashed the handle across the man's face, the giant toppling to the ground with blood pouring from his mouth. Tossing the weapon away, Zell jumped back, grabbing Dee by the hand and pulling her with him to find a small foxhole in the ground.

Shoving her into the foxhole, Zell crawled in after her. Dee, frightened and babbling, didn't seem to recognise his hands touching her body as she spoke. "I…I don't understand…I was defending myself, fighting like you told me…and then I couldn't control myself…I went wild, daddy, wild!!"

"I know baby…" Zell shouted as a shell suddenly went off behind him, a flash of light and rocks and body parts flying all over the place as he ran his hands over her body.

"W-what are you doing?! Ow, that hurt!!" Dee cried as he placed his hands on her chest – and squealed in pain as he found what he was searching for.

Zell took his silver gauntlet away and looked down at fingers where he had wiped them clean a moment ago. They were now slick with blood – Dee's blood. He grimaced and wiped his hand on his shirt. "Listen baby, you cannot be hit by any of their weapons, understand? Some of them may have Berserk junctioned to them – it's a magic that makes you go wild and attack relentlessly like a wild animal, okay?"

Dee blinked, wide eyed, as she looked down at her shirt. Just above her left breast was a small nick, the cut having gone through her shirt and almost snipping her bra. It was nothing major, it wasn't bleeding much – but she still hadn't registered it. She looked up at Zell with her scared look – to see that his shoulder and face had been nicked too. "What about you, daddy? You've been cut too!"

"I know. Whenever I junction my magic I always make sure that my Berserk defences are high…otherwise I might end up attacking my friends, and I don't want that to happen. You remember your junctioning lessons, right? Draw some Berserks from some of theses guys and arm up – I'm going to go find higher ground to see if I can find a way to get to Squall, alright?"

Dee nodded and watched as he jumped out of the foxhole and disappeared into the throng.

Zell jumped up and out of the foxhole – to widen his eyes in shock – and jump out of the way as a massive vehicle of some kind suddenly rolled forward, the beast of metal and steel crushing men left and right under it's tracks, rolling on what looked like a sheet of metal surrounding a set of wheels, allowing the vehicle to run over almost any terrain.

What Zell didn't know was that reinforcements had arrived – for the Gaians. What he was currently running away from was an Abrams tank – one of the few the Earth forces had been able to spare for the Universal war. Trundling along on the tracks, the tank was a formidable opponent, even against magic – seeing as even Thunder magic's didn't do much thanks to SeeD tinkering about within it and inlaying the armour with rubber, only most major magic's could do anything to it.

Right now the Abrams rolled over Dee's foxhole, the girl within staring up at the vehicle in awe as all 60 tons of it practically flew over her to slam into the ground. The tank only rolled at 40 miles per hour – but that was more then enough to ram down and crush infantry, leaving a bloody red trail in it's wake.

Zell ducked and rolled out of the way as the tank slammed into the ground where he had just been before, the tank screaming past him – before grabbing a loose piece of piping on the back and hauling himself to the top!

Now riding the beast like a surfboard, having to watch his balance as the tank crunched over the bodies littering the floor as well as any enemies it could see, Zell tried to figure out whether it was a friend, foe – or a monster. _It looks like a machine but it's like nothing I've ever seen before…and these weird symbols on the sides, what the hell do those mean?!_ He thought to himself as he looked down at the markings of the US Marine. _Must be on the Queen's side. Better do something about it…what the?_

Blinking as he watched the massive snout of the beast suddenly raise itself, Zell instinctively gripped a handhold – before the monster suddenly rocked, the snout erupting into flame and sending out an ear-shattering _BOOM_ as it fired it's cannon, the shell spiralling out across the plains – to hit the ground and explode outwards, blowing a great cloud of dirt and bodies everywhere not a few hundred meters away.

Zell clutched his head in pain, his ears still ringing. Never before had he seen something like this, and the sound it made was deafening. _This thing sucks more then BGH251F2!!_ Zell thought with rage, moving forward a little, coming up to the main turrent. _Time to shut this puppy down!_

Gripping the cannon on both sides, Zell set his feet down on both sides of it and, straining his muscles, his shoulders feeling like two pieces of meat on his back being stretched as he pulled on the steel cannon – and felt it give!

Gritting his teeth with the supreme effort, sweat cutting channels down the blood that had caked on his face from the fight before, Zell continued to pull upwards, the cannon bending up, up, up…until it was almost fifty degrees bent in the middle, now unable to fire!!

There was a priming noise from within the belly of the beast, vibrations moving through the steel length as Zell let go – and went pale.

It was about to fire again.

Back flipping up and over the turrent, Zell landed on the end of the thing – before it's bent snout suddenly exploded, blasting to smithereens and taking the rest of the tank with it!!

Zell was thrown clear, blowing straight through the crowds and crowds of men around him and bowling them all over to skitter across the corpse-covered ground – to slam into the cliff he had been in just moments ago, his body lodging itself into the red rocks a story or so off the ground.

Dee watched the tank explode and saw Zell fly away, and figured that she had drawn and junctioned enough Berserk magic to go and help her father.

Jumping out of the foxhole and running forward, she jumped up and over a group of men who were scurrying away from something – before coming face-to-face with another tank!!

Watching her father face off with the tank was one thing – but seeing this metallic monster up close and personal was a different matter. Meeping to herself, shocked and frightened, Dee steeled herself as the monster banked over another pile of bodies – before she suddenly jumped up and grabbed the length of the cannon, swinging up and over it. As she grabbed the turrent it suddenly swung upwards as the tank went over a pile of corpses, the sudden movement like a spring-board for Dee – one moment she had been on the cannon, the next she was flying through the air towards the cliff where Zell and her had been just a few moments ago.

Tumbling through the air, Dee slammed into the rocky face of the cliff much like Zell had done – but with more grace, twisting her body to let her legs hit the wall and bend, allowing herself a little give. Pulling herself from her hole, Dee dropped to the ground – and landed on the soft bodies of the fallen.

Deciding not to heed them, she jumped and picked her way through them to find Zell, knocked out for a moment, still embedded, upside down, within the rock. Grabbing his hand and pulling him out, she watched as he landed on the bodies with the rest – before he opened his eyes and grimaced.

"By all the gods that sucked!" Zell cried. It felt like his entire body had been hit by one massive 2x4 made out of Orihalcon.

Dee picked him up and brushed him off. They were safe for the moment – all the people surrounding them were swamping the tanks, clambering all over them, hitting them with swords and shooting them with guns. "What are those things, daddy?" Dee cried as another one banked across, running down a mass of people before lowering it's turrent – and blasting a whole lot of them to smithereens, the shell blowing a bunch of them off their feet one by one as it screamed through them to explode a few hundred meters away.

"I dunno hon…" Zell cried, tenderly touching a cut he had gotten from his crash to the cliff. "But I think we'll avoid them for now. They have a tendency to blow up in yer face."

Looking up, Zell saw the top of the cliff where they had entered. "Up there, hon." He said, pointing. "We gotta get back up there and have a looksee about."

Dee nodded and began to climb, Zell following close behind.

It was halfway up when he heard a crackling come in through his SeeD Walkie Talkie.

"This is Kinnes approaching Battle Ground C. Reports of Azel unconfirmed as of yet – these bastards have corrupted our entire fighting squad, Seifer, they're all Berserked!!" Irvine screamed into his wrist-mike as the helicopter he was flying in flew over the battle-ground, the rotors announcing it's existence with a loud _whup-whup _noise.

He was riding side-saddle in a Black Hawk helicopter, the deep black flying vehicle skimming low over the battle as he yelled into his mic over the sound of the rotors. Another vehicle borrowed from the Earth forces, the Black Hawk was an excellent vehicle for two reasons – one, it was more manoeuvrable and more easily deployable then the Ragnaroks, and two – because they were just damn fun to be in.

_"Keep your eyes open, Kinnes. If it's Azel we need him captured if you can – but if you cant, just kill him."_ Seifer muttered over the radio, his voice as cool and precise as ever.

"Gotcha!" Irvine shouted, releasing his finger from the transmit button – before ducking as a Fire flew past his head to explode harmlessly against the Adamantine covered hull of the helicopter. "Fuckers! I'll get back to you when I've got the bastard in my sights!"

Zell and Dee had finally reached the top of the cliff when Zell turned and saw Irvine's Black Hawk banking sharply this way and that. On either side of the armoured flying personnel carrier were weapons Zell had never seen before – many barrelled with a squat mechanism attached to the ends, they span for an instant – before a meter long tongue of flame erupted from the end of the barrels, the guns spraying lead like water from a hose all over the ground. Zell watched in horror as every single person clambering on top of the armoured beasts on the ground were shredded almost immediately. "By the gods…" He breathed, watching as the bodies were cut to pieces – before grabbing his wristlet and flicking it on. "Irvine! Irvine, do you read?! This is Zell!!"

Irvine, holding onto one of the hand-holds attached to the roof, a sniper-rifle in his other hand as he leant out of the left side of the helicopter, the blades spinning above him making his hat ruffle in the wind, blinked in surprise as he heard Zell's voice.

_No…no, it cant be him…Squall said he was dead!_ Irvine shoved his sniper rifle into the holster attached to the wall and activated his wrist-mic. "Identify yerself, fucker!"

_"It's me Irvine, you dick! You're cutting apart your own people down there, quit it!"_

"Since when were you concerned with our people's safety, Azel? If I remember correctly, you're the ones who want them to die!"

_"I'm not Azel, I'm Zell!!"_

"Prove it, fucker! Tell me where you are!"

_"I'm at the top of a cliff just to the right of your position in that…thing."_

Irvine released his wristlet and staggered into the cockpit, yelling to the pilot to fly towards the cliff to the east.

Zell watched as the helicopter turned away from the tanks, the two huge guns on it's sides still flaring and raining lead death on the people below, and began to head towards their position.

Dee and Zell began to wave their arms, trying to gather their attention.

Irvine ordered the pilot to stop a way away from the edge of the cliff, just to make sure Azel didn't do anything funny, and went back to the main compartment. Grabbing his sniper rifle and training it on the two figures on the top of the mountain, his breath was suddenly stamped out of his guts.

_No way…_ Immediately Irvine activated his wrist-mic. "Seifer!! Seifer, I think I see…"

_"See what, Kinnes?"_

"It…it looks like Zell!!"

There was a pause on the other end of the line…before Seifer answered, his voice as cold and dead as ever. _"Dincht is dead. It's either Azel or a Doppel. Take him out."_

Irvine blinked, his mind in a whirl. He had heard from Squall and the others about Zell's decapitation and destruction – but Zell was one of those people who always defied the odds. He always bounced back. He was _always there_, even when you didn't want him to be there!

Even so, Seifer had a point. Zell was dead, and even if he had been revived by those 'Immortals' there would be no way for him to come back without a Sorceress' help. Irvine took careful aim…

Zell had heard it all. Now he simply stood there, his mouth wide open, unable to believe it.

Dee looked at Zell with a worried expression. "Daddy! What now?" She cried – before looking at his chest.

A red dot wavered over his chest… 

Suddenly dropping to her hands Dee's leg shot out from under her, knocking Zell off his legs and causing him to trip backwards…

The gunshot was louder then it must've been to Zell as he literally _saw_ the bullet go from the barrel of Irvine's rifle and scream towards him – before cutting a channel through his hair, the wind forcing his face back to slam into the ground!!

He moved instantly. Falling flat on his back, Zell rolled to the left, the ground around him puffing and exploding into small red craters as Irvine's gun went off again and again, the tiny red dot unable to follow Zell as he evaded the aim of his friend. Rolling on top of Dee, the girl squealing as Zell lay on top of her, the Hunter hooked his arms and legs around her arms and legs – before rolling the both of them straight off the cliff!!

"Fuck!!" Irvine cursed as he ejected the spent clip from his gun and slammed in another one, chambering a round. "Follow em down!"

Zell and Dee were heading to the ground fast, their bodies still entwined with each other. Zell's mind was turning into overdrive as he looked left – to see the Black Hawk beginning to follow them down – then looked right – to see the cliff face, not a foot away from their bodies.

Dee, being a good soldier, simply clutched to Zell and didn't let go.

The ground approaching fast, Zell did the only thing he could do.

Twisting their bodies around so that Dee was now on top, Zell thrust his left hand out – to slam it deep into the rocks of the cliff, the metallic gauntlet screeching and sparking great gouts of red sparks as the rocks and metal rubbed against each other – and causing the Dincht's decent to slow dramatically.

The sudden stab into the rocks made Zell suddenly swing forward, slamming his body into the cliff face. If he had done so a few moments ago without twisting his body, Dee would have been crushed between him and the rocks.

Now his body scraped along the edge of the cliff, his voice screaming out as he held on for as long as he could, his clothing and skin shredding as they scraped along the course surface of the rock – before he finally ripped his hand out of the rock, allowing them both to tumble to the ground.

Zell landed on his knees, the shock of the painful decent beginning to get to him. His entire left side was red raw and bleeding intensely, his clothing shredded and tattered. Dee released him gently and picked him up, standing him up and putting his arm over her shoulders as she looked up at the Black Hawk as it descended slowly to the ground, twisting around so Irvine could get another clear shot. "Daddy! You need to talk to him! You need to convince him somehow!!"

"I know!" Zell shouted, wincing as the wind from the chopper began to blow dust and soot everywhere. "But he thinks I'm dead! What can I say to change his…" His voice trailed off.

'If you do ever receive this message, just remember that there will be U-Twins – impostors – who will stop at nothing to try and dupe you. So remember this line – 'Slayer, Hunter, Pilot, Saviour, Sorceress, Leader'. We'll use it to make sure that you're you.'

Zell remembered Squall's words – but before he could raise his microphone to his lips he looked up at the Black Hawk – and paled.

Irvine had managed to push one of the gunners of the shredding machine gun out of the way, taking the weapon in his hands and pointing it towards Zell and Dee. _"Say hello to Ol' Painless!"_ Zell heard Irvine yell over his mic – before the weapon suddenly burst into life, spraying them and the area surrounding them with bullets mercilessly.

Zell instantly grabbed Dee and span his body around to take the brunt of the bullets – before hearing a noise unlike anything he had heard before.

It was like rain falling on a plastic tarp – but the rain had a metallic sound to it, clattering on the plastic messily.

Looking down to Dee Zell gasped as he watched her eyes glow a bright blue.

"Daddy!" She shrieked, clutching to him, her knees growing weak. "I don't know how long I can hold this Barrier up!!"

Zell nodded – before lifting his microphone to his lips. "Hey Irvine…"

"You know how us Sorceress Heroes are all called a name…" 

Irvine's fingers were jammed tight on the trigger of the Mini-Gun, the weapon spewing 5mm death at the two as Irvine's face was twisted in the effort of keeping the gigantic gun steady – before he heard the words come in over his earpiece.

_Impossible…_ He found himself thinking as the words came in over the earpiece.

"'Slayer, Hunter, Pilot, Saviour, Sorceress, Leader'…we found it funny cause Seifer always said it was arranged in the order of our usefulness. You know…you first, then me, then Selphie, the Quis, then Rin…and finally Squall. Remember?"

Irvine's eyes went wide as he let go of the trigger on the big gun, the barrel finally released from his grip charging down to smoke and sizzle. Irvine's breaths were coming in short bursts as he stared down at the Barrier covered pair – before jumping to the cockpit, grasping the pilot by his shoulder and pointing down at the pair. "I need those two in this chopper _immediately, understand?!"_ Irvine screamed into the man's ear, the man nodding idiotically as Irvine turned back to look out of the chopper's release bay screaming into his microphone as he did.

"Zell!! Zell, we're landing and bringing you aboard!! Just hold tight for a second and we'll be right there, alright?!"

Zell and Dee marched through the Gaian base quickly, flanked by Irvine who stared at Zell as if he was a ghost.

As soon as Zell had climbed aboard the helo the first thing he did was give Irvine a crack across the chops, sending the gunman sprawling into the back of the aircraft. The co-pilot had reached for his weapon – before Irvine waved him off. "Nah, nah, I deserve it…" Irvine said, watching the smile spread on Zell's lips as he jumped forth to give his red-haired friend a bear hug.

The co-pilot, an Earthling, had simply sat back in his chair and commented to his friend about the strangeness of these Universals, before preparing to take off once more.

Irvine had handed Zell and Dee a potion for their wounds, before telling them to strap in and hold on. Zell and Dee had done so – and were taken for the ride of their lifetime.

The Black Hawk, basically a mini armoured-personnel carrier with a rotor was a hell of a lot less manoeuvrable then a Ragnarok – but what it lacked in manoeuvrability, it made up with in style.

Able to duck low into most of the wide chasms of the planet, the Black Hawk snaked it's way south, moving towards the Gaian Base with speed – and flying all over the carnage as it went.

Endless movement on the ground.

It was like a swarm of insects, ants scurrying around a kill and swallowing it up with the sheer mass of numbers.

Millions upon millions upon millions of people. Blond hair, brown hair, helmets, hats, long hair, short hair, little dimples for the shorter people – it was insanity personified, hell given a purpose and a frame. Fighting for their very lives and the lives of their comrades, the movement was endless, massive, continues, simultaneous.

From the heights of the Black Hawk Zell could watch it spanning for miles across, dipping into dents into the ground, disappearing into craters, peeking around rocky outcrops, sliding into the horizon like a sea of faces and heads all lost within the bloody masses. Zell was actually grateful when a sudden mass of warriors – most likely Queen forces – turned and began to fire volleys of Fira's at the helicopter, causing it to dip into a small valley, away from the flaming death and hidden from the sight of the attacking forces. Zell felt the horror recede – before looking over the edge of the helo and seeing more people fighting at the bottom of the valley, having to clamber over the bodies piled at the bottom to get to their enemies.

"What is being done about the Berserkers?!" Zell had screamed at Irvine over the sound of the rotors.

Irvine had looked back to Zell and replied with an equally loud scream, his words as sad as his face looked. "Not much I'm afraid! We've got Rinoa going out and Dispelling masses of them at one time, but it is only a matter of time before they are all turned again and by that time Rinoa has gone off to Dispel another lot. She's been run off her feet for weeks now – only knowing that Squall is still going is the only thing that's keeping her going!"

"What's that about Squall?!" Zell screamed.

Irvine bit his bottom lip – before shaking his head and pointing up at the roof of the helo, at the rotors. "Sorry pal, we'll talk later – too hard right now!"

Zell had sat back then, one arm over Dee, who was clutching to him with wide eyes. She had been a good soldier, and he was proud of her – but it was obvious now that she was in shock. He could tell – even with the shuddering of the helicopter, he could feel her shaking as she clutched him, trying to find solace as she stared out of the bay and into hell.

When they had landed she had been able enough to walk, but not enough to speak. It didn't matter much anyways – apart from the strange stare that Irvine had given Zell, the red-haired gunslinger hadn't spoken about the obviously less-then-platonic holding.

Zell couldn't be bothered telling Irvine anyways. Best he told him later – when Dee had finally come to her senses.

Now they moved through the Gaian facility, the area around them milling with people rushing to and from their stations, some wounded, others so covered in red dust it was hard to tell wether they were wounded or not. The facility ran deep under the ground, into a catacombs system, far away from the main battle. Zell had seen a few small skirmishes as they had come within a few miles of the complex, but thankfully the mountains of bodies had finally died down to nothing but dusty desert.

The ground and walls were covered in steel, which Zell found interesting – before he recognised something. All the walls and floors were covered in scratches and grooves that were more then the month or so Zell had been away.

It had been used before. This was not the first time the Queen or her people had fought a war here.

The realisation had hit him immediately. This had meant that the Queen had home-town advantage – she knew the planet inside and out, she knew it's pathways and tunnels – she had the instant advantage over the SeeDs.

He had no time to curse her as suddenly Irvine led them to a small room – and paused at the door.

He turned to Zell and nodded to him with a sad smile. "Its…good to have you back, pal…We need a moral boost round about now…" He said, having been stony silent until now – before opening the door and allowing Dee and him entrance.

Zell and Dee walked into the room – to be greeted by the Sorceress Heroes.

The place looked like a medium sized bedroom, with a cot in one corner and a small desk beside it. A number of chairs were surrounding the bed, facing inwards. Every single one of them were occupied.

Quistis, her beauty maimed slightly by the dust covering her body, sitting on a small chair facing the bed, turned in her seat to look over to them, the tears running down her face cutting channels through the dust as she saw him – and gasped. Selphie, sitting beside Quistis and holding onto her hands, turned too to gasp as Zell walked through the door.

Zell waved to them meekly. "Hey guys…I'm back!"

"Zell?!"

Zell blinked suddenly as Rinoa suddenly stood up from within the chairs beside the bed, having been hidden by Quistis and Selphie's gaping forms. She stood quickly and regarded Zell with an inquisitive, almost angry eye.

She looked like a mess. Covered in head to toe in red dust, tears also cutting deep channels through the red cake on her face, her blue cardigan torn and shredded by the constant battles she had been through, her raven black hair tied professionally into a bun. The innocent, almost playful look that had been ever present in her eyes was now completely gone – _she looks mature, older_, Zell suddenly realised. _I guess the war has shown her that our life was a piece of cake compare to this hell._

The illusion was shattered, however, as she suddenly blubbed – and ran forward, flinging her arms around his neck, weeping into his chest, relief washing over her as he passed the test.

The other girls ran forward then, moving close to hug him too, their tears flowing as freely as Rinoa's. He hugged them all, trying to get his arms around them as he smiled down at them. "Hey now, come on, it's okay, Zell's back! You know the old saying – cant keep a Dincht down – right?"

Selphie chuckled and pulled back, looking up at him. "I cant believe it! You're really back! You're alive!"

Quistis nodded too, pulling back and wiping her face, smudging the dust on it. "This…is…is really great. It's just the boost we need after…"

Zell's smile crashed into a frown as he looked about them. "After what?! Why wont you guys tell me?!" He shouted – before looking over Rinoa's weeping form.

Looking to the bed.

Which held an unmoving Squall Leonhart.

Zell disengaged Rinoa and passed her to Quistis before moving forward slowly, each foot requiring all the willpower he could muster as he stepped closer – to hit the edge of the bed.

Squall's face had regained it's usual scar somehow, making Zell smile suddenly – _I'd call it ironic, but he'd call it coincidence_ – but that was the only thing that seemed to be the same.

Although his muscle structure was the same, Squall's skin was gaunt and pale, having lost it's tan somehow. Sweat lined his brow and stained the bed sheets and pillowcase – and from the looks of things, it looked like he had been bedridden for days.

Zell blinked, unable to comprehend it. He had seen Squall fall before – but he'd never seen him like this. Lying helpless like this, he looked small, weak, defenceless almost. It amazed Zell that Rinoa was able to leave his side at all, let alone go out and do her Dispel rounds – but it was probably what he would have wanted her to do, otherwise she would have stayed by his side the entire time.

"…What happened?" Zell asked, not turning to look back at the others.

Irvine stepped forward, passing Dee who had been somehow pushed into the background, and approached Zell slowly. "When we first got here and set up base we received a call from the Queen…asking us for a compromise."

Two Weeks Ago "Are you listening, Squall?" 

"I'm listening." Squall muttered into the microphone, his voice almost dead as a rock as he spoke.

They had just entered the base – and he had not been happy with what he had seen. Although there was nothing wrong with the base in itself, the markings on the walls and corridors meant one thing – that there had been a battle here before, and the inhabitants had lost.

Being forced into a battle where the odds were stacked _against_ them wasn't the idea of a fair fight. But, obviously, the Queen had need to weaken them – and that gave Squall strength.

By knowing she _feared them_.

_"Squall, I am feeling generous today, seeing as you've just arrived and all."_ The Queen's voice said over the hologram system built into the base, in the command room. It seemed the Queen liked to converse with her opponents at will_. "I can tell by your eyes that you are not happy with your accommodations, so I shall make you a deal. If you can defeat my knight in single combat, alone and without any help, I shall pull my men back for the first week and allow you to set up base as well as scout the surrounding areas to gather knowledge of the grounds."_

Squall looked up at Cid, who nodded to him. Squall looked down at the hologram. "That seems fair, considering the circumstances."

The Queen adopted a mock-shock look on her face. _"Why, Squall, whatever could you mean by that?"_

Seifer stood them, slamming his fists into the hologram's deck. "He means by the fact that you have about five millions troops surroundings all our bases, ready to attack us!"

The Queen smirked and looked down at her dress, brushing off some imaginary dust, the image wavering a little as she did. _"Oh yes…them. As I was about to finish, if you are defeated my men will advance and overrun your base in a manner of hours."_

"Why? I thought your point was to fight us, to gather our souls."

"Oh Squall, you think I will leave your people and the people you have asked for help alone after I've wiped you from this miserable planet?"

Squall said nothing – he simply clutched the edges of the hologram's deck and narrowed his grey eyes at the woman. She had him over a barrel – and she was relishing it.

_"You obviously need time to think it over."_ The queen said with a soft chuckle. _"You know my frequency. Call me back in…oh, say half an hour."_

With that her image disappeared from the hologram, the image fading from view – but not before Seifer could draw his gunblade and slash it through the hologram's neck, the head actually floating up a little before dissipating into thin air.

The blond man was furious. "That whore! Trying to get the jump on _us,_ for fucks sake?! Doesn't she know who we are?!"

Squall simply sat there, his fingers locked under his chin as he rested his elbows on the deck, not saying anything. Rinoa stood behind him, with her hand on his shoulder, waiting for him to speak. Cid looked up at Seifer and sighed, shaking his head. "Don't you get it, Seifer?"

"Get what?!"

Squall spoke up quietly, his manner one of supreme, even heavenly calm. "She knows _exactly_ who we are. She needs an advantage, Seifer. It shows that she's afraid of us. She thinks we're scare right now – but I'll bet that she is waiting impatiently on the other line, _waiting_ for us to call first." He smiled a small smile up at Rinoa, who smiled back down at him, before looking at Seifer. "I'll give you all the Gil I have if she doesn't call back within ten minutes."

Seifer snorted and sheathed his sword, stepping back and crossing his arms, leaning on a terminal. "Okay…fine…she's scared of us. Big fuckin deal! She's got five million soldiers out there, braying for our blood! Okay, you kick this guy's ass – what's going to stop her from unleashing her little army on us anyways, Commander?"

Squall looked up at Rinoa. "Oh, I think we can handle them, right Rin?" He said with another smile, reaching up to clutch her hand and give it a gentle squeeze.

Rinoa smiled down at him and brushed a lick of hair from his face – before cocking an eyebrow in confusion. "Just what do you have planned?"

Before Squall could reply, however, the Queen reappeared on the hologram, causing Seifer to snort and Cid to chuckle.

The Doppel looked at Seifer and Cid in mild confusion before turning to Squall. _"I got tired of waiting. What will it be, Squall?"_

Squall smirked, reaching forward with his hand over the 'kill transmission' button – "I accept your challenge." – before slapping his hand down, cutting the transmission first, the indignant face of the Queen disappearing almost instantly.

The motorcycle roared deeply, the engine rattling in the bowels of the cycle seeming to be the only outward show of Squall's anger and disgust at this world.

The ground had been flat and hard for about twenty miles around the base – before the bones began to show themselves. They littered the ground like pebbles in a Zen garden, skulls of all shapes and sizes, long bleached bones everywhere. They crackled and crunched dustily under the wheels of his cycle, the metal-covered wheels taking everything in stride.

The Queen had said for him to come alone – and he did. Squall was a man of honour, a SeeD. He would not break a deal without good cause.

Without good cause.

He was travelling in a small valley, rounding a long curving bend when he finally saw the battlefield.

A single figure, brilliant and shining in the red sun, stood impassively in the middle of what looked like a round circle of ground, the bones that had littered the ground having been pushed away from the centre to create the circle. Another figure, this one dressed in long flowing purple robes, held a small hand out to the edge of the ring – and pushed some more bones away, trying to make the circumference even. The ring was pretty large – about twenty meters in diameter, the ground was flat and barren, the same red rock as he had seen everywhere else on the planet. To the south was Squall's valley – to the north he could see another cliff, which circled the circle itself. Squall figured the ring was the centre of a crater of sorts.

Squall exited the valley into the sunlight, driving up to the ring – and turning the motorcycle to the side, skidding to a stop just a few feet away from the end of the boundary, spraying bones everywhere.

The Queen turned from where she had been trying to make the circle even and held her hand out, the bones which had flown into the ring pausing in the air almost as if by themselves. "Do you mind? I'm almost done." She said in an annoyed tone – before waving her hand, the bones floating in the air flying off into the distance.

Squall said nothing – he simply killed the engine, swung his leg off the saddle, and pulled his LionHeart from the back compartment, holding it loosely in his hand as he approached the edge of the circle, his boots crunching on the bones of the dead as he neared it.

Aqual stood in the exact centre, his right hand resting on his sheathed gunblade, clad in his Orihalcon armour, a large flowing purple cape draped over his shoulders and clasped to his neck by a brooch that looked like a golden heart. Indeed, it made him look exactly like a knight in shining armour…if only a dark knight. He regarded Squall coldly, his grey eyes fixed on his opponent with an unwavering stare.

Squall kept his hands gripped tightly on his gunblade as he looked from Aqual to the Queen. "I thought this was going to be a one-on-one battle." He muttered, looking down at her.

She smiled at him sweetly. "My dear SeeD, of course it will be a one-on-one fight! I am merely here to watch."

"You'll forgive me if I don't believe you."

The Queen giggled delicately. "I forgive you then. I could never say no to your handsome face."

Squall tightened his jaw and said nothing. He hadn't expected Aqual to be alone – but to have her herself come…that was different.

Watching her move out of the ring and sit down on a small rock just a few feet away from it, draping her robes out elegantly before lowering herself to it, Squall stepped over the threshold into the ring of bone. He kept his eyes firm on Aqual, watching for any sudden movements as he approached his double – and shucked off his black coat, the thick leather and white edged jacket being tossed over his shoulder to land outside the ring into the bones.

Aqual reached up and unclasped his cape, also throwing it away, the purple billowing in the wind as it flew across to spread across the rocks where the Queen was sitting, her hands clasped on her knees, regarding the two of them with curiosity.

Lifting his LionHeart up, Squall disengaged the Energy Crystal slid into the hilt, making sure the glow was a bright blue before slamming it back in. Popping the clip of Pulse ammo from the butt of the gun, he double checked to make sure it was fully loaded before also slamming it in – and chambering a round, pulling the slide back by gripping one of the long hooks on the top of the weapon and pulling it back with a satisfying _cha-chak!_

Aqual simple drew his sword out a little, the metal glinting brightly as he flipped the cylinder open, spinning it to see that all the bullets were in and firmly placed – before flicking the cylinder back into place and sliding the sword back home.

The two fighters were ready, their minds steeled, their bodies tense and prepared.

They stared at each other with unhidden anger and hatred, each of them needing each other dead – Squall because it was one less obstacle to the Queen, Aqual because his Queen had ordered this man dead. Neither man moved, however – to advance first meant that he would be left open to any counters or defensive blocks the other would obviously launch. So they stood, staring in their standoff, each one mentally daring the other to go…

The Queen sighed audibly. She couldn't be bothered waiting. Standing, she tore a small length of purple material from her robe and held it out. It was of little consequence to her that she had just ruined her dress – she had fifty of the exact same dress back at her palace. "When the cloth hits the floor – ready?"

Neither man spoke up, which spurned her slightly, and she dropped her piece of robe, not bothering to call out for it to begin.

The wind picked up slightly as the piece of material dropped to the ground, lifting it slightly and letting it tumble through the air, moving through the path of the two warriors as they watched each other, the purple cloth rising high for a second – before falling and hitting the floor, crumpling to the end of the ring.

As soon as the cloth hit the floor Aqual stepped forward, twisting his body to face his sword-shoulder to Squall, his feet literally digging into the ground as he pushed them apart, trying to find friction – and tear his gunblade from it's sheath, the Sonic Strike wailing out of the edge as it tore across the ring towards Squall, the diagonal attack cutting a deep groove into the ground as it neared Squall…

…Who simply leaned down to one side, the diagonal attack blowing straight past him as he knelt down to the left, the attack causing his hair to ruffle as he levelled his LionHeart at Aqual – and flicked the activation switch, the energy blade blazing to life and allowing him to pull the trigger, the Pulse ammunition screaming forth out of the tip of his blade…

…To be cut in half by Aqual's Shear Trigger, his sword slicing the bullet in two as he smirked in satisfaction – before his eyes widened in horror.

Squall had interpreted the attack on his bullet and, having covered the ground between the them in the time it had taken Aqual to take out his bullet, had leapt forth, his LionHeart swung up across his body as he came crashing down on Aqual, swinging the blade with force – to have it arrested by his double, the shining silver of his blade coming around in the nick of time to parry the energy weapon!!

Their weapons locked together suddenly, the two men glared into each other's eyes – before Squall shoved forward with supreme effort and began to attack once more.

His sword dance in the red light, the blue streaks floating effortlessly from his blade as it sang forth, crashing and sparking on Aqual's gunblade, the Heart parrying and defending as hard and as fast as he could. A sweeping slash was avoided by a back-flip, leaving Squall off-guard for a moment as his sword was by his left – and allowing Aqual to stab his gunblade forward. The blade nicked Squall on the right shoulder as he followed through with his momentum, falling to the floor – and cutting out with his gunblade from his back on the ground, nicking his opponent's elbows through his armour before Aqual jumped back once more.

Swinging his feet up and flipping to his feet, Squall held his LionHeart over his back blindly, deftly blocking a cutting slash to the ribs before swinging the blade up and over his shoulder, spinning as his blade slashed through the ground to swing it up – to have it arrested by Aqual's sword, the Heart holding the sword across his legs to stop it just as it reached his groin – before he swung it up and tried for a riposte aimed for the neck, his gunblade flicking forth – to be knocked aside by Squall's hand, snaking out to slap aside the flat of the blade and causing it to brush under his arm – and to be grasped under his armpit!!

Squall had jumped with the uppercut as his sword had been blocked, causing Aqual's thrust to go short, and as he landed he smiled at his double, Aqual's sword clutched tightly under his arm – before dropping his LionHeart and, reaching forth with his free hand to clutch Aqual's breastplate, slammed his head into Aqual's in a vicious head butt, the sounds of bone hitting bone echoing out in the crater they fought in.

Aqual stumbled back with a cry, pulling his sword out of Squall's arm with a yank, cutting a small slash across his hip, and placed his free hand to his face, his head spinning.

Squall deftly grunted as the cut was placed on his hip and rolled forward, collecting his sword as he went and coming up in a crouch, his sword slashing forth in a blue arc – and cutting thin air.

Aqual had jumped forward at the last second, regaining his senses and leaping _over_ Squall's crouching body to come up in a roll, his shining armour now red with dust, to spin and swing his sword down – to clove the ground where Squall _had _been.

The SeeD had quickly recovered from his slash and rolled forward, coming up to his feet and spinning to face off against Aqual, holding his sword up as Aqual quickly pulled his sword out of the ground and did the same, the two warriors facing off once more.

Squall was breathing heavily, sweat covering his dusty face. His white shirt was stained with his blood and had turned red with the dust of the ground. The cuts to his hip and shoulder oozed redness painfully, but it kept him alert and at attention. He had come close to Aqual – very close. The fight was extraordinarily even at the moment – if they fought at this pace it would eventually come down to a stamina bout.

Aqual was also sweating and breathing heavily. Although he had expected his armour to stop Squall's energy weapon a little, it had cut through the elbow-guards with almost no effort, almost separating his forearms from his upper arms – plus the SeeD knew more then swordplay. The head butt had given the Heart a wicked headache, and he knew he would have a bruise there the following day.

He dared a glance to his Queen, who was watching intently, enraptured in the fight – before looking back to the SeeD. _I must not lose…_ He thought to himself – before watching Squall suddenly draw his sword back, the SeeD holding it across his body as he spread his legs.

_He's advancing – well, I'll see his advance!_ He thought, spreading his legs too as he slowly sheathed his sword, the metal sliding into the sheath – before exploding form his position.

Squall jumped forward too, his sword swinging out as Aqual drew his, the two blades crashing against each other, causing orange and blue sparks to fly – before they jumped back and slashed at each other again, their sword singing forth to crash and spark once more.

Sweat beaded Squall's face and droplets flew off to land on his blade as he swung it again, the two crashing once more as the droplets evaporated as they landed on his energy blade, the sparks flying equally fast and causing his eyes to light up – before they jumped back and swung again.

Their sword crashed together once more – before the ends suddenly reported, long tongues of flash slashing out of the barrels on the gunblades as they simultaneously pulled their triggers, Pulse ammunition sizzling past each other's ears as their sword were kicked back by the blasts – before they advanced to each other once more.

Swinging his gunblade up once more with one hand, Squall slashed it down, the edge crashing against Aqual's and sparking wildly – before he suddenly thrust his hand out, his palm slamming into Aqual's breastplate and knocking him back – before a long shard of ice suddenly formed and rammed itself into the Heart's breastplate, slamming the Heart back and out of the ring into the piles of bones, red dust and dried calcium flying everywhere as Aqual took the Blizaga head on. Aqual's sword clattered to the ground beside Squall, having been dropped by the Heart upon impact of the ice elemental.

The Queen jumped to her feet in horrified shock, her hands instantly going to her wide-open mouth as she waited for something to happen, watching the pile of bones that had dust and smoke pluming out of it.

Squall, his chest heaving, pulling his hand back and shook it painfully. He had literally slammed his palm into hardened armour – he didn't know how Zell used to be able to take that kind of damage to his hands. He now waited for the Heart to make the next move, keeping his eyes fixed on the pile where the man had fallen. He knew the Blizaga wouldn't have done much damage – although it was powerful, the Orihalcon would have taken the brunt of the force.

He expected Aqual to stand and advance once more – he didn't expect what was going to happen next.

There was a sudden flash as four green balls with fire within them floated down into the pile – before something within it exploded upwards, spraying bones and dirt everywhere.

The thing flew high into the air, seemingly without mass, a translucent blob floating into the red sky – before the ground began to tremble as it flew high, the dirt rattling and shaking, the bones clacking together. Suddenly the bones on the floor began to fly up to the empty thing, slamming together with a loud clacking noise, and began to form an animal of some kind.

The collection of bones grew larger and larger in mass, seeming to crush together in a wave of skulls, ribs, femurs and spines, every kind of bone imaginable in the human body flying up to be tossed into the mixture, creating a ball – which then spread wings, the span_ massive_.

"A…A Guardian Force?!" Squall cried, taking a step back.

"Yes Squall!!" Rinoa yelled with glee from her rock, watching as the bones around her began to float up into the massive winged ball. "This is the Bone Eagle! It is a non-elemental GF that is created using the bones of the fallen foes around the fighter! Usually it is small…but considering the masses upon masses of bones around us, I think it shall become quite powerful!!"

Squall didn't heed her last words – he simply leapt forward, collecting Aqual's Sheer Trigger from the ground and, levelling the two gunblades to the steadily growing creature, let loose with both barrels. The tips of both swords flared as the Pulse ammunition blew out of them to slam into the ball of bone, great bleached white chunks flying off into the distance as the super-charged bullets crashed into and blew apart the ball, bits and pieces falling and flying in all different directions…

…Before his gunblades clicked empty. Squall swore out loud, tossing the Sheer Trigger away, and held his hand out at the ball, his palm beginning to smoke as he charged the Blizzaga – and let it loose, the massive shard of ice barrelling towards the ball of bone at incredible speeds…

To shatter upon a Shell, the red shield forming around the bones as soon as Squall had launched the Blizzaga!!

Squall turned to the Queen, who lowered her hand and smiled sweetly and innocently at him.

Turning back to the ball, figuring he would deal with the Queen when the time came, Squall watched as it suddenly grew to it's needed girth – and unfolded itself.

The head pulled itself from the body, the bones crackling and snapping as it moved, the wings beginning to beat to keep itself up. Two massive spindly legs appeared from the bottom between the massive legs, the claws upon the three-toed foot razor sharp and wickedly curved, just like a bird of prey's ought to be. Looking down at Squall, the bony beak opened wide – before screeching loudly, the noise so deafening it made Squall wince.

It flapped it's wings once, twice – before shooting up into the sky, flying high towards the blood red sun, flying into the middle of the light and making it impossible to see exactly where it was.

Squall squinted as he tried to see where it was, shielding his eyes with his free hand – before watching, out of the corner of his eye, as a blue ball of magical energy surrounded the Queen.

She's cast Protect on herself! But why? Wait – non-elemental? Maybe that means… 

He had little time to think, however – as another ear-splitting shriek was emitted from the sky – and Squall spied something plummeting to the ground at incredible speeds. The massive bird had flown high into the sky then, at the zenith of it's flight, turned around, dipped it's wings – and had aimed it's kamakazi-esque dive towards him!!

One second Squall was there – and then the next the air was filled with the sound of shattering bones, sharp fragments spilling out in all directions as the Bone Eagle disintegrated into a million pieces, the pieces filling the crater as completely as it had already been filled with bones already.

Aqual appeared in the centre of the destruction after the rain of bones had finally subsided, smiling regardless of the massive cut he had received to his next from his trip through the bones on the ground and the gaping hole in his breastplate, revealing the frostbite he had received from the Blizzaga to the chest.

"It's not often I have to call on the help of my GF's, SeeD!" He called into the shattered remnants of the Bone Eagle, pulling off his breastplate and tossing it away, the armour now useless. "You should feel lucky."

There was no answer.

Queen Rinoa picked herself up from where she had fallen from the shockwave of a ton of bone hitting the floor – and clapped gleefully, giggling with happiness. "Very good, my Knight – excellent, in fact!! That was splendid!"

Aqual smirked and bowed to his mistress. "I aim to please, my Queen." He said – before pausing…and looking behind him.

Within the piles and piles of bones behind him a hand suddenly shot out, the gloved fingers curling into a fist – before clawing around for purchase.

"Interesting…" Aqual murmured to himself as he watched a bleeding Squall pull himself from the wreckage of the Bone Eagle, the Protect surrounding his body finally dying away. "I expected you to be a little more injured then this."

Squall didn't know what to expect. His Protect had come up just in time – just  - but that didn't stop it from being assaulted from all directions by a million tiny shards of bone at the same time. He had held on for as long as he had dared – before finally having to let go and allowing the explosion to take him. Thankfully that had been after the initial explosion, so all he had to contend with was the falling rain of razor-shard bones that jutted into his back and sides as he curled into a ball and covered his head.

Impossibly he got up into a kneel, the blood and pain pouring from his back causing him to cry out.

Aqual grimaced. "…Just like Dincht…" He growled, walking over the bones, the dried calcium crunching under his feet as he approached Squall and grasped his shirt, lifting his hand high. "…Stubborn."

Squall looked up at Aqual impassively, seemingly unable to fight – seemingly.

Suddenly his left hand lifted from the bone – and jammed a long length of bone into Aqual's bare side, now unprotected by the Orihalcon breastplate he had been wearing just moments ago!!

Blood spurted freely from the wound as Squall growled up at his double and pushed it in deeper, Aqual's face full of shock and surprise more then pain and horror…before he dropped the SeeD back and stumbled away, his breathing laboured, his hands going down to the bone sticking out of his side firmly, blood pulsing from the wound easily.

The bone had been more then a foot long, and Squall had managed to stab it in more the halfway, and the end jutted out like an uneven twig sticking out of the main branch. Aqual gripped the end and tried to pull it out – before figuring otherwise. It was even more painful trying to remove it, and the more he tried the more his internal liquids tried to seep out of the gaping hole that had been made.

There was nothing but pure rage in Aqual's face as he looked up, evidently extraordinarily pissed off at the mortal wounding, and began to stalk forward – before blinking as Squall suddenly erupted from his kneeling position, rolling into a crouch and shifting forward…

 - A flash of light - 

To land behind him, the LionHeart in his left hand, the Sheer Trigger in his right, both gunblades focused straight forward as he skidded to a halt just four meters behind Aqual, the LionHeart smoking, the Sheer Trigger doused in blood.

Aqual blinked again – before turning to look at the crouching Squall and laugh out loud, a loud gut laugh, the laughter echoing around the crater as Aqual raised his hand to point it at Squall's back. "You fool! You missed!!"

Squall's face, splattered slightly in his own blood and sweat, streaks running down the dust and crushed bones caked upon it, was as impassive as his voice as he spoke up.

"Did I?"

Aqual snorted again – before his eyes widened.

Suddenly two diagonal lines drew down his chest, from his right shoulder to his left hip and his right hip to his left shoulder, creating an X effect of blood…

…Before his arms fell off to his sides, followed by his head and neck which fell forward, his body toppling down to land on it's disembodied back into the bones with a shattering thud.

In the manner of seconds it had taken Squall to move less then eight meters, he had slashed the LionHeart up whilst slashing the razor-sharp Sheer Trigger down, cutting so cleanly and precisely it had taken Aqual's body a few seconds to realise that it was dead, the bones neatly carved straight through, the meat cut as easily as a hot knife going through butter.

Squall stood as equally impassively as he had cut his opponent into four pieces and, deactivating his LionHeart and slashing the Sheer Trigger through the air to shake off the blood caked onto the edger of the blade, turned to the Queen, his cool grey eyes locking onto her.

The Queen simply sat there, on her rock, her face deathly pale. She had not expected, in a million years, that her Knight would die – especially to one who was supposed to be as weak as Squall.

The fact kicked in a few moments later as she ran forth, tripping and stumbling through the bones on the ground, shoving past the impassive Squall to fall to the ground beside her disembodied love. "…Aqual…" she whispered, picking up the head and shoulders and cradling it to her chest, tears flowing down her face as she looked into his horrified visage. "…Aqual, speak to me…"

Squall simply stood there and watched. His back had about seven pieces of bone jutting out of it, staining his white shirt even more then it had already been stained by the dust, and great sweat patches adorned his chest and under his arms. The man had been an impressive fighter – they had almost been equal in power and skill.

Almost.

He watched as the Queen bent double over Aqual's diced body and closed his eyes. _Is that how Rinoa will act if I die? Will she find me dead one day and cry over my corpse? Is this how my life will end?_

He hoped to the great Hyne that it did not.

Rinoa looked up from her grief, looking out into the valley of bone, her voice filled with vehenemous anger as she spoke. "You…you killed him! You killed him! You killed the only man I loved!!"

"…It was either he or I."

"He was my confidant…my other half…the love of my life…"

"…Whatever. You knew the consequences of this event and so did he."

The Queen's face screwed up in anger then and span to look up at him, her eyes filled with hatred and loathing, her hands clutching the head to her chest, his blood staining her face and clothes. "You're such a fool! Even as you were fighting, I had sent the word out for my men to go and kill all your friends! Now it's just you and me, Squall!! All alone out in here! And I'll take my time killing you!!"

Squall walked past her slowly, moving over to a small pile of bones and, digging into it, pulled out his leather jacket, swinging it over his shoulders and walking over to where his bike had fallen due to the shockwave of the blast.

"Aren't you listening?! Your friends are dead, your base destroyed!! You have nothing left to go back to!! Without Rinoa you are doomed to wander this hellish planet alone for the rest of your life!"

Squall pulled the motorcycle out of the pile and swung his leg over it. Clipping his LionHeart to his belt he slid the Sheer Trigger into a small niche in the back of the cycle, stuffing his coat into a side compartment as well – before lifting his glove to his mouth and activating his microphone. "Rinoa…is it done?"

_"Yes it is, baby."_ Was the reply into his earpiece.

"Okay. I'm coming back to base now."

"We'll be waiting."

The Queen sat where she had been sitting, her eyes wide and shocked. "What…what was that?!"

Squall gunned the engine of the motorcycle, the engine roaring to life even after being bombarded by millions of tiny bone fragments. Thankfully the adamantine metal covering the important parts was tougher then his skin. "Your little army was Petrified. I asked Rinoa to fly over them and deliver a Sorceress charged Break to them all. I have men going through their ranks now, killing off the ones who survived the mass Petrification – if any – and shattering the rest. Even if I was to die here, your plan was a failure."

The Queen rose from her position then, snarling as her eyes began to glow white and smoke, great white wings unfolding from behind her back – before a gunshot rang out, pinging into her still-active Protect and slamming her to the floor.

_What?!_ She cried – before seeing the tiny red dot floating on her chest.

At the top of the valley, on the left hand cliff facing the crater, sat Irvine, his hands curled around the butt of his sniper-rifle as he pulled the bolt back and chambered another round, the lengthy shell flying out of the breech to allow another fresh bullet to take it's place. The red camouflage sheet he had pulled over him disguised him completely, as well as him having smeared the long barrel of his rifle with dust and soot from the ground, killing off the usually brilliant gleam.

To anybody anywhere, wether it was a few meters away or a few hundred meters away, he looked like nothing but a harmless everyday rock.

"Without good cause, he said…" Irvine muttered to himself, steadying his aim and taking a bead on the Queen once more, making sure to only fire unless she made a move at Squall.

The Queen looked up from the red dot and snarled at Squall. _You bastard!! You were never alone!!_

"You shouldn't complain. You told me this was to be a one-on-one battle – yet you came, and gave Aqual assistance. It seems only fair I have backup too."

Cursing telepathically, the Sorceress Queen crouched low, her wings folding around her as she gathered up Aqual's head from where she had dropped it – before exploding from her position, flying high up into the air, her massive wings beating hard and fast as she rose into the sky and began to fly off towards her base, defeated completely.

Squall watched her fly off before facing forwards once more, cranking the accelerator and gunning the engine once more. He would go back to base, get the bones removed, and spend some time with Rinoa. He had just, technically, killed himself and watched his lover weep over his body. He was feeling a little more then shock.

He was about to take off when he heard the screeched word, the word having almost a musical, angelic tone to it – if he didn't know what it implied.

"Meteor!!" 

Snapping his head back he heard the Sorceress Queen cackling out loud as she flew off into the horizon – before a small stone, the size of a baseball, slashed out of the atmosphere at a million miles an hour and slammed into the ground beside him, exploding into the floor with such force it almost rocked him off his bike.

Looking down at the smoking crater Squall looked up again – to see that the sky had suddenly filled with red-hot lights – all of them aimed at him. Each of them made a screeching noise as the heat they were emitting billowed off them and constricted with the air around him.

Grimacing Squall faced forward, gunning the engine once more – before taking off at top speed, his back wheel kicking up a ton of dirt and bone before he suddenly shot off, the first of the Meteors exploding behind him like tiny fireballs.

His bike screamed with the effort as he hunkered down and tried to keep his eyes on the road and on the sky at the same time, the sky wanting him dead whilst the ground threatened to kill him lest he made one wrong move. Almost immediately, as if it was raining fire, the Meteors rained down around him, exploding and rocking his bike and him on it, causing the wheels to skid and the bike to fishtail and swerve – but not fall.

Squall kept his balance miraculously, driving straight for the valley, where there would be a little safety – before he looked up at the left hand side of the valley.

About four to five stories up something that looked like a rock jumped out of the way as a Meteor slammed into where it had just been and blew the area up and began to run for the edge of the cliff, running as if it's life depended on it. And it did.

_Shit!_ Squall thought, gunning the engine again and forcing the bike to go the extra mile, the machine screaming out loudly as it smashed through the bones and rocketed through the Meteors pouring down from the sky like some kind of apocalyptic downpour, the bike swerving and ducking through and over the explosions as they went up around it.

Nearing the mouth of the sheer valley, Squall spared one last glance up to the top of the cliff – before hitting a sudden rise in the ground, his bike taking off at incredible speeds, leaving a duvet of dirt and a trail of bones in it's wake as it flew straight forward, time seeming to slow as Squall tried desperately to keep it level and straight without himself flying off – before he landed – and something landed on the pillion behind him!

"For the love of Hyne my balls!!" Irvine screamed as he wrapped his arms around Squall and held onto him for dear life as they dared the twisting path of the valley at breakneck speeds, some Meteors still flying down into the valley and ricocheting off the walls to explode beside Squall's bike as it flew through the narrow pathway.

Irvine, having heard the Queen cast the Meteor, had instantly discarded his gun and made a mad dash for his own bike – before one of the falling comets had swallowed it up in an explosion of fire and stone, the twisted hunk of metal almost cleaning him up as he ran out of the way. Then, having nowhere else to go except jump down to Squall's bike and hope to the gods that he landed on it, he jumped off the cliff like a madman.

It felt like his testicles were somewhere up around his throat, but he was alive. Just. Selphie wasn't going to be able top play with the block and tackle for the next few days, that was a sure thing.

Now he gripped Squall tightly, hoping to all the gods and a few he was going to make up just for this occasion that he was as good on a motorcycle as everyone said he was. And, if Irvine hadn't been grieving his balls and trying to wipe the tears from his eyes, he would have been more then impressed. Squall had god-like reaction speed, somehow being able to predict where the Meteors were falling even before they hit the ground. Not only that, but even with Irvine clutching his back he was able to still manoeuvre the bike around all the tight corners and bends, kicking up great sprays of dust and bone as he took a sharp turn – and blasted out of the valley into the open plains, the flat red ground never seeming so beautiful to the gunslinger ever before in his life.

The bike seemed to fly through the air for a few seconds, Squall either pulling up on the handle-bars to allow the back wheel to fall or Irvine's added weight was making it dip – either way they crashed to the floor, the bottom chassis spewing out great red sparks as they bounced - and sped off, escaping the range of the Meteors by the skin of their teeth.

Irvine looked back to watch the valley's opening disappear into a gigantic cloud of dust as the rain of flaming rocks reduced it to a pile of rubble – before turning back, a gigantic smile on his face as he grabbed Squall's back and pumped his fist into the air. "Whoohoooo!! Squall, you rule, man, you are a GOD!" He cried, wincing as his groin twitched – before forgetting his own pain as Squall slumped forward onto the handlebars suddenly.

"Shit! Squall!!" Irvine cried as the bike wavered slightly, still going a hundred miles an hour – before skidding to one side and flinging them both off.

Now… 

Irvine sat up in his chair, watching Zell closely. "I managed to activate my distress beacon before passing out. When they found us they healed us up and evacuated us back here…but they couldn't revive Squall. Seemed he had gotten poisoned somehow. Either from the GF or from Aqual's Sheer Trigger, we don't know. But he's been sleeping ever since he was brought back"

Zell blinked down at his sleeping friend, breathing in a shuddering breath and letting it out slowly. "…Talk about the ultimate sacrifice, huh…"

Rinoa, who had crouched down next to him, reached out to swat him behind the head. "Don't talk like he's already dead!!" She yelled – before calming down and looking down at her unconscious Knight. "He…he doesn't like being talked about in past tense. You know that…"

"Yeah…sorry…didn't remember…" He whispered with a nod, standing and placing a hand on her shoulder to give it a gentle squeeze before turning to Irvine. "…I think I need to have a rest…I cant think straight. Where can me and Dee go to sleep?"

All the Sorceress Heros then turned their eyes to stare at both Zell and Dee…who looked at each other and sighed audibly. Dee walked forward slowly to be hugged into Zell's arms, unable to speak up let alone try to tell them all.

Zell simply looked at them all and sighed. "It's a long story…but I think it would be best if Angel was here to hear it too. Where is she?"

The glances his friends shot each other made Zell's blood run cold, and his eyes widened as his voice raised.

"You guys…where is she?! Where is Angel?!"

There you go! Chapter one of the War World! Only two more chapters to go, folks, and this party is done!!

_Hope you've been enjoying it as much as I have been writing it, and never fear – even thought it's taking me a while to bash these puppies out, I'll get them all out eventually! Just you keep reading and reviewing, alright?_


	30. Tears Of Betrayal

Ch 30 – Tears Of Betrayal

Angel was lost.

Not in a literal sense but more in a metaphorical, a mental sense.

The man that held her in his arms was foreign to her still and yet, she drew a strange comfort from it. His smell, the feeling of his skin upon hers and the breath upon the nape of her neck, and the sheer thought that she was actually worth something to someone seemed to overwhelm all her other desires.

Of course, nothing could overtake her grief of Zell's death. She had tried to lose herself in battles, and in the tears – but the only way she could truly forget Zell was in the company of another. Wether it was this man here, or one of her friends – she needed to know that she was not alone, that the emptiness that had filled her life when Rinoa had spoken those dreadful words was not completely true.

They had found each other on the battlefield. Angel, having been bumped up to SeeD status only a few days before Squall and the others had returned, had been placed in charge of a flanking mission, taking a few thousand soldiers and manoeuvring them through the pits and valleys of War World to get the upper hand of the Queen's major forces.

It had almost worked. They had almost gotten the jump on them, Angel's troops having come around quietly and waiting for the perfect moment until the force had moved deeper into the valley, led by the retreating forces that had drawn their attention before.

But when Angel ordered the attack and leapt over the first ridge, she had been shocked to watch as the enemy numbers halved, the second half throwing themselves directly at the SeeDs whilst the rest had chased after the retreating SeeDs.

The manoeuvre had been meant to be a sneak attack. A quick jump over the ridge, take out as many as possible to weaken and distract their forces, before retreating behind the ridge and using the many nooks and crannies to make their escape. It was meant to be a reactionary attack – the enemy was supposed to be taken by surprise, not be ready for them. The tables had been turned and, as a result, the sneak attack failed completely.

Death and destruction surrounding her, her little brown ponytail wafting in the stiff breeze as she looked down at the fight, she had been unable to do anything but watch in horror as her men were defeated outright – a prepared enemy was more deadly then an unprepared one. It had occurred to her, as her men began to beat a hasty retreat when victory was unattainable, that many of these had happened very recently…so recently, in fact, it was like they were being orchestrated from the inside.

She hadn't known why she had simply stood there as her men retreated around her. It didn't occur to her that she didn't want to leave, by some strange twist of fate that this was how it was going to happen – that she was going to die and join her love in Heaven or Nirvana or the Otherworld, or whatever you wanted to call it.

Then the bullet had taken her in the left breast, blowing straight through the adamantine armour that had been issued to her and exiting out through her left shoulder-blade, shattering the bone instantly and causing her to stumble back.

She hadn't known she had been hit. She had simply stood there, stunned, unable to move, her body trembling slightly at the thought of a weird feeling in her chest – like someone was breathing heavily on it. A heavy wheezing had come from it, and she had looked down at her chest to absently realise that the bullet had grazed her heart and had blown straight through her lung. The hard breathing effect was her own breath – she could feel her lung pumping air out through the hole onto the wound.

She had fallen then, falling backwards – into his arms.

He had appeared suddenly, as if like an angel. His hair was wavy brown, his eyes a startling blue…much like Zell's. He had looked down at her with intense concern, and she had heard him calling her name but she hadn't been able to hear him. All she heard was a roaring noise in her ears that reminded her of the roar of the enemy and the roar of the ocean and the roar of his voice as he ran into battle…

Then she had felt something wash over her, and her feeling returned, her hearing coming back, all her senses rushing back in an instant. The man had sat back with a satisfied smile, much like Zells…

She couldn't have helped herself. She instantly sat up and hugged him tightly to her, tears running down her face, unable to say anything except to sob into his shoulder.

He had pulled back and whispered something meaningless to her, before his lips brushed hers, the feeling like static on her skin.

She had found out later that he had been the medic that had brought her back to the base, carrying her the entire way through the valleys and canyons, having to cast Cures on her again and again to stop her from bleeding out. He had run out of Curagas during the failed battle.

She had also found out that he had had a crush on her ever since he laid eyes on her, back during a training session with Zell all those months ago, before the Tournament, before the Assassin, before this whole destructive event ever occurred.

And she found comfort in his arms. Her grief was released by his soft touch, his caring words, his gentle caresses, his passionate kisses. She found that, by losing herself in his arms, she could make the memories of Zell go away…

At least for a short while. Angel had not gone the entire way with him – although he was pushing for her to – but every time their times together began to get too passionate, too heated, when her memories began to melt away in the ecstasy of his body and smell – Zell's image would appear in her mind once more, and she would feel a stabbing pain in her heart, a strong guilt that almost made her cry out in pain on several occasions.

She tried to rationalise the guilt. She tried to say that it was nothing but her grief clawing at her heart. She tried to tell herself that Zell was gone, that he had been decapitated and his body was completely destroyed. Even with his impossible skill to bounce back, nobody could bounce back from that.

Nobody.

So now the guilt hung in her heart again as Gerard kissed her neck, Angel's eyes closed as she moaned under his touch. Gerard's kisses were more passionate then Zell's, more fevered, as if he had little time in this world left – Zell had always taken his time, pecking her shyly before moving gradually forward, allowing her room to grow accustomed to his presence and his touch and his love. Zell had never been an experienced lover, although after a few times he had grown very accustomed to making her shriek of pleasure.

Gerard, it suddenly occurred to her, had the feel of an experienced lover. There was no hesitance, no shyness – he attacked all the sensitive spots like a professional, turning her on instantly and not stopping until she ordered him to. And even then he did so regretfully, making her feel even more guilt added onto the already present guilt.

Now he was doing it again, and although a part of her screamed to finally do it, to finally submit herself, to give herself to him fully and allow herself to be washed away by the shuddering euphoria of the event…

…But another part, a sadder part, told her no.

"Gerard, please…" Angel whispered, her breath husky as her back pressed against his chest involuntarily. They were in her quarters, back from another mission, this one actually successful. They had successfully routed the enemy, even after suffering heavy losses. Gerard had asked to come to her quarters afterwards to massage the kinks out of her body, and now it was getting more heated then just a professional courtesy.

"What?" He asked softly, his words tickling her ear as he removed his lips from their attack to her neck.

"…Please…I'm not ready yet…" she whispered, trying to force herself to turn around – but only finding herself leaning against him more.

"Your mind says no…" Gerard whispered, kissing her neck again before running his tongue along the edge of her ear and whispering into it sweetly. "…But your body says yes." Running his hand along her belly he began to push her shirt up slowly, pushing his hand underneath the edge and bringing it closer…

Angel moaned to his touch and sighed, falling back into his arms as his caresses grew more and more erotic, his hands touching places only one man had touched before…

_He hadn't said goodbye._

Suddenly, and with shocking realisation, Angel realised why she had been so hesitant to go the extra distance with Gerard.

Zell had never said goodbye to her when they had parted ways. He had never said goodbye because he had wanted her to know he was coming back.

_He was coming back._

Angel gently but firmly pulled Gerard's hand from underneath her shirt and sat forward on her bed, rearranging her bra and standing to turn and face him. His cute face was twisted in a sudden confusion. "…What's wrong? Did I do something wrong?"

Angel sighed, shaking her head. "No…your touch is wonderful…it's just I cant keep doing this. I'm…still mourning Zell's death and doing this only a month after seems…almost sacrilegious to his memory." She was standing meekly in the centre of the room, suddenly feeling like she was talking to the entire SeeD army. She shyly clutched her shoulders and looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry…but I can't see you anymore. Please leave."

If Angel had been watching Gerard she would have seen the change in his face, going from confused understanding to a sudden hunger. He stood slowly and advanced onto her, grabbing her shoulders and pushing her roughly to the wall, her shocked eyes turning up to his as he suddenly kissed her lips, all the gentleness gone and replaced with a gruff violence that was uncharacteristic compared to his previous actions beforehand.

He pulled back to look into her shocked gaze, his voice low as he spoke. "Most of the girls who've lost their boyfriends during the war have come to me pretty willingly, but you, you just keep fighting and fighting my advances. It was fun for the first week or so, but now I've gotten tired of it. We're going to do it, and we're going to do it right now."

His words were like an order and she tried to squirm out of his grip as he tried to kiss him back. "No! I don't want to!!"

"Oh, don't say that! You'll enjoy yourself, trust me – all the girls scream my name near the end." He advanced once more, pinning her hands to the wall as he began to kiss her lips again…

"I said no!" Angel shouted suddenly, tearing her lips from his and slamming her knees into his groin, making him groan painfully and bend double – to receive a hammering uppercut, the blow literally lifting him from his feet and causing him to crash to the floor.

Angel grimaced down at him and wiped her mouth, his taste on her tongue suddenly disgusting. Gerard wasn't a man – he was a monster of the worst kind, preying on the emotionally distraught widows and girlfriends of fallen heroes in the war to satisfy his own urges.

His groans, however, made her feel a twinge of pity on him, and she knelt down beside him, helping him to sit up on the side of the bed – before he suddenly rammed his hand into her chest and made a magical sign.

Suddenly she couldn't move, her muscles atrophying as the Stop took hold of her body. She could do nothing but blink down at Gerard as his pained expression turned into an evil smile. "You think I was nothing but a doctor, huh? I'm a SeeD before I'm a medic, Angel – and my major was Status magic."

Standing and working his jaw to make sure it wasn't broken, he picked her up and placed her on the bed, straightening her legs and undoing her belt to pull down her pants, the garment bunching around her boots – before he spread her legs. "White panties…I figured as much…" He muttered with a smirk as he slowly lowered his head to her crotch, Angel unable to do anything but cry, tears streaming down her cheeks as she prepared herself for the inevitable…

There was a sudden _ding ding ding_ on the door, the rusted metal seeming to shake with each ding. It sounded strangely like metal hitting metal.

Gerard froze. If anybody walked in now, he would be caught red handed – but Angel was Stopped, she was unable to respond to the knocks. He decided to take a gamble. "Go away." He called, looking back down as his confidence grew. "We're busy."

"I'm here to see Angel." A voice called through the door. A male voice.

_It cant be…_Angel thought to herself as she recognised the voice, her tears falling more rapidly now.

"I told you we were busy, asshole!" Gerard called again, looking up at the door once more, his face twisting in anger. "Fuck off!"

"No." Was the simple reply.

Getting up and walking briskly to the door, Gerard pulled it open and growled through the frame at the man behind it. "Listen dickhead, wait your turn…"

His voice trailed off as he saw who it was.

Zell looked down at the scene before him. Angel, thrown on the bed with her pants down her ankles, stared up at him unblinkingly, tears streaming down her cheeks as she obviously tried to move. The man before him, a handsome looking gent, looked about as flabbergasted as a thief who had been caught red handed, stared at him from the door.

Angel whimpered, the sound coming from her throat – her mouth didn't move at all. She had been Stopped.

The look Zell turned on the man was not a happy one to say the least. Words could not describe the rage he was feeling at the moment.

Gerard tried desperately to redeem himself. "Hey…Zell…if I'd known you were alive I wouldn't have tried! I mean…she came to me, I didn't go to her! Seriously, we all thought you were dead, there was no harm in it…c'mon man, give me a fucking break!"

Zell reached forward to grasp Gerard by the shirtfront, his blood-red gauntlet drawing the shirt in and making the womaniser's shoulders bend forward as the Hunter pulled him close, so close their noses almost touched. "You're not going to fuck anything ever again. And I'll give you a break. I'm going to give you several." Zell snarled, his words as ice cold as Seifer's, perhaps colder.

Pulling the man through the doorway, Zell threw him back against the wall in the hallway, his head smashing into the stone and rebounding off it easily before he fell to the floor unconscious.

Walking into the room and closing the door behind him Zell immediately went to Angel's side on the bed, casting a Dispel on the Stop and giving her full movement once more.

As soon as she could move again she let out a sob and threw her arms around his neck, wailing as tears rolled down her cheeks, trying to desperately find the words to express her sorrow and regret.

"I'm so sorry Zell!! He was so suave and I was so lost when they told me you were dead I couldn't think of anywhere else to turn, he seduced me! Gods, please forgive me, just please forgive meeeee!" She sobbed, finally running out of words and just burying her head in his shoulder, the tears streaming down her face at an alarming rate.

Zell, for lack of a better description, was in a state of shock. Reaching around her shoulders he patted her back gently, looking down at her with dead eyes, his face a stony mask. A part of him realised what she had done and accepted it as acceptable – I mean, he had been killed irreversibly by Gaian standards. How else would Angel react? She certainly wouldn't have killed herself to follow.

But then…it had only been a month or so since his 'death'. How could she find someone in so short a time? Was he worth so little to her? Exactly how long did she grieve? A week? A fortnight? Did this event just happen by chance, or had she been seeing him before he had left for the mission? After his departure? A few days after his departure? Was this even the first time?

_Look at her…_Siren's voice whispered in his mind, startling him. _She's obviously feeling regret for her actions. This was probably a spur-of-the-moment thing._

_I don't know that, Siren._

_Put yourself in her shoes, Zell. Imagine what would have happened if she had died and you couldn't bring her back? What would you do if someone, in your time of grief, offered you a shoulder to cry on – and maybe a more physical release for your guilt and remorse._

Zell couldn't reply. How could he? He had never been in the situation before. _…I suppose…I would do the same…_

Then don't judge her. Comfort her. She, evidently, had almost been raped just then. Does it seem consensual to be Stopped by your partner to you?

Zell looked down at Angel then, her shoulders heaving as she continued to cry into his shoulder. Reaching around, he slowly undid the clasp on his left gauntlet, slowly pulling it off, the metallic glove sliding off to hit the floor with a _clang_, the loud sound making Angel jump and looked up at him with wide, tear filled eyes.

He hadn't taken the time to wash when the gang had told him about Angel's recent actions with a SeeD medic. He had instantly dashed to where her quarters were supposed to be, needing to find out for himself. His body was still covered in grime and blood from the battle he had fought before, his clothes torn and worn form the fighting, and as Angel looked up at him he saw that her face had gotten smudged from the dirt caked on him.

Reaching up with his bare hand he gently – ever so gently, the most tender touch he had ever given anything in the whole world – brushed some of the soot from her cheeks and wiped the tears from them – before leaning forward to kiss her gently.

Angel melted into his grasp, relief and love washing over her as she returned his kiss, his familiar scent, touch and sight bringing the peace she had been looking for the past few weeks.

Everything was going to be alright.

Dee sat silently in Squall's room, looking down at the unconscious commander.

Having now met Rinoa and seen Squall, she realised how much Hale, the other Newborn, looked like them. The girl had Squall's posture, his commanding presence – even in his comatose state he seemed to command the room, drawing all the attention towards himself. The marking of a born leader, it would seem, as Dee looked up at Rinoa. Hale had her natural beauty, the raven black hair and smooth facial features, the smooth supple body and graceful walk.

Not only that, but this man was so much more different then her father – lean where Zell was thick, his hair a chocolate brown as opposed to Zell's spiky blonde. He was even taller then her father, and his smell was a major difference – she hinted a smell of gunpowder and blood as opposed to Zell's mild sweat and candy smell. Looking back at the one called Irvine, taller then both Squall and Zell as well as being slightly more handsome, he was also vastly different then Zell in almost every way possible. She wondered just how many other differences these males were to her father…

The Immortal suddenly wished she was back within her own universe, surrounded by the Valkyres and Mistress Aries. Looking about the room, at Irvine and Selphie, Quistis and Rinoa…all these people were foreign, their faces distant, their thoughts private. With her father she could read him almost instantly, his thoughts usually wide open for the world to know.

She wondered if her mother had…no, was the same.

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to look up at Selphie. The small girl smiled down at Dee, the cute brunette warmly holding her hand out for her to shake. "I'm not sure we've all been introduced to you. My name's Selphie. What's yours?"

Dee stared up at this wondrous creature. Just a little shorter then Dee was, the girl was voluptuous in the strangest way – even quiet and subdued in this sad atmosphere she radiated warmth and happiness, a bubbly glow seeming to radiate off of her, easing Dee's hesitation a little. "My name is Dee." The blonde said to the brunette, grasping her hand firmly and shaking it before retrieving her hand.

"Dee? Well, nice to meet you. Wow, that's some grip you have." Selphie says with a small grin, taking her smaller hand back and rubbing it.

"I'm sorry…" Dee said, looking down at the hand which had contained Selphie's only seconds ago. "…I'm a fighter like…Zell is."

"Oh really?" Quistis asked, walking over to the girl and sitting down next to her. "What universe are you from?"

Dee blinked at this woman. Zell had told her about her beauty – but even his good storytelling skills had done her no justice. Her smooth, flawless skin, creamy in colour underneath the red dust, the deep blue eyes like emerald droplets on a gorgeous face, the perfect figure hidden deceptively within a SeeD uniform.

Quistis sighed with irritation. This always happened. "I asked what universe you're from."

Dee blinked suddenly, snapping out of her stupor. _Incredible…it's like this woman is a descendent of Mistress Aries, their beauty are so close…_ "The Immortal universe, ma'am."

"My name is Quistis. And the Immortal universe, you say? So they figured out a way to get Zell back to us, hmm? We must make sure to thank them later on."

"Actually…that will be a bit hard…" Dee said unhappily, looking down at Squall again.

Quistis frowned in confusion. "Why? Have the Hearts taken over your universe too?"

"No…" Rinoa whispered, looking over to Dee with her eyes wide. "…Because you don't know how to get back to your universe either, do you?"

Dee nodded slowly, her head low. "Its…it's alright though. I'm sure we'll beat this Sorceress Queen…and then I can start a new life with Zell here…I'll be fine as long as I'm around him."

Quistis had been shocked to hear that this young girl had come to this place when she had no visible way back to her home universe – but hearing what she had said then had really put her in a spin. _Is she…Zell's lover?_ "Start a new life…what do you mean? What are you to Zell?"

Dee shifted in her seat, now feeling every eye on her when she hadn't felt them before. They seemed to sizing her up now, not threateningly – but she was feeling uneasy under their stares. "It's…it's complicated…"

Rinoa walked forward and crouched down next to Dee, looking up into her blue eyes and scared face. She seemed to be looking directly into her soul, reading her very thoughts, and although Dee tried to pull away she found that she couldn't move – she was locked in her gaze, those light brown orbs staring into hers with a critical gaze…

Before Rinoa blinked, suddenly realising. "My gods…you're…" She whispered – before grasping Dee's hand. "Tell me…is there one like you…from…"

Dee smiled down at Rinoa, feeling a slight relief that she knew and that she didn't hate her for it. "Her name is Hale. I have a picture in my pack, if you want to see."

Rinoa nodded, her eyes wide as saucers, her hands trembling as they grasped Dee's hand. "Could you?"

Dee nodded and reached for her bag.

Selphie took all this in and threw her hands into the air, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Geez, is this some kind of Immortal ritual or something to not tell people what's going on? What's your connection with Zell, lady? And what is she exactly, Rinoa?"

Dee hesitated slightly as she grabbed her bag, beginning to feel frightened again. Rinoa saw this, looked up at Selphie, and immediately Silenced her with the wave of her hand. Selphie opened her mouth to speak once more – to find she couldn't talk. A look of furious rage built up on her face and she began to jump up and down, pointing at the Sorceress and gesturing wild hurty things and silently screaming curses and threats and very, very annoyed comments at her.

Rinoa watched all this and promptly ignored her, turning back to Dee who had one hand in her pack on her lap. "Please Dee…" she asked, her voice almost hoarse with the suspense.

Selphie gave up and walked up to Irvine – who pushed past her to look down at Dee with Quistis and Rinoa with mild interest. He had been checking his guns whilst waiting for Zell to come back so he could catch up with what had happened to him and had missed the whole Silencing fiasco.

And Selphie wasn't happy.

"Hey guys, what you got there - " Irvine asked Dee and Rinoa – before his eyes widened to the size of saucers and his voice was choked off as Selphie disengaged her tiny foot from where she had slammed it up between his legs behind him into his already extraordinarily bruised balls and gave him a little shove forward.

Irvine collapsed to the floor clutching his privates, unable to make a sound except a few high-pitched squeaking noises whenever he moved. Selphie, thankful she had adequately chastened her boyfriend and relieved herself of her aggravation, walked over and promptly sat on his back, holding him down and causing him to emit another squeak.

Dee watched this with wide eyes. "My gods…are all your people this violent?"

"Not all…their relationship is weird…" Quistis explained patiently, Dispelling the Silence on Selphie now that she had calmed down. "…You learn to get used to it."

Dee nodded, before turning back down to her bag, seeing the suspense building with her every move.

Finally finding what she had been looking for – a small booklet – she opened it and flicked through a few pages until she found… "Here. These are all the Newborns – myself, Hale and Max."

One second the booklet had been in her hands – the next Rinoa snatched it out and peered down at the picture, Quistis and Selphie jumped behind her to look down at the picture.

A small garden was in the background, tall silver buildings reflecting the sun in the distance. In the foreground were three teenage girls – one with blond hair, one with dark black hair, another with a wavy brown, all of them dressed in the beautiful silk robes of the Immortals. The girl with blond hair had her arm around the brown-haired girl's neck, the two of them smiling and laughing in the camera – the one with raven-dark hair was standing to the side, watching the other two with a small, almost invisible smile on her beautiful face.

Selphie blinked, unable to comprehend why this was so important – before pointing at the girl with the black hair, her eyebrows raised in slight surprise. "Hey! Hey, she looks a lot like Squall, don't you think?"

Quistis leaned forward, having been studying the blond haired girl – obviously Dee – and looked down at the black haired girl. She looked up at Rinoa, before looking back down at the picture, before looking back up at Rinoa, almost as if comparing the two – then smiling as everything fell into place. "No…no, I believe she looks more like her mother."

Rinoa didn't say a word. She simply clutched the photo in a trembling hand, having to hold the hand with her other in order to steady the picture of her teenage daughter. Looking up at Dee, who was smiling shyly, Rinoa felt tears trail down her face. Unashamed of them, she sniffed once before reaching into the little plastic sleeve the picture was kept in and pulled it out. "Do…do you mind if I…keep this?"

Dee's smile grew larger, and she took the booklet from Rinoas hand, flicked through a few more pages, and pulled out a plastic card from the back of the book. "I think that this one would be a lot more better…" Dee said, looking at the card with a sad smile before handing it to Rinoa.

This picture only had Hale in it, the girl looking into the camera with her cold grey eyes, her beautiful long hair brushed to a shine, her slender hands clasped before her as she smiled another sad smile – so much like Squall.

Rinoa gripped the card tight with one hand to stop it shaking and reached out with the other to brush her fingers gently over the face of the girl, her words soft as she spoke. "You look so sad…"

Touching the picture suddenly made it spring to life, the girl seeming to stand out of the card and stand on it, no more then three inches in height – before reaching out to grasp a microphone with both hands and raise it to her lips.

A haunting voice, filled with passion and sadness, began to sing from the hologram, Hale's song breezing from the musical card that had been sold in all the stores in the Immortal world only a few days before Dee and Zell had to leave. Dee loved the song – it was a melody which grasped her heart and shocked it, turning it cold and also warming it at the same time. It always made her want to cry.

Quistis and Selphie sat, dumbstruck, as they listened to the song. It was like being hit by Siren's Lament – it left them breathless, unable to speak as the song wafted over them – even though they had heard it before.

As the song wound down Selphie turned to Quistis woodenly, her mouth agape as she spoke. "That…that wasn't…"

"It was." Rinoa whispered, her face unable to be seen by the others as she looked down at the hologram.

"'Eyes On Me.'"

Every bone in all their bodies chilled as they all turned to see Squall sitting up, his face pale and gaunt – but alive and awake. His cool grey eyes shone slightly as he looked at them all – before he smiled at them all. "You all make too much noise."

Seifer snarled down at the battle-map, the tactical hologram spinning this way and that as he tried to assess just how much more damage they were going to take from yet another failed assault. SeeD messenger-bunnies scurried left and right, shuttling data analysis to the infirmary and weapon stores as well as getting reports to the A and S grade SeeDs in charge of the operations. Right now Seifer was trying to figure out just how three simultaneous deployments of thousands-strong troops had gotten so out of hand. "Raijin, what's your situation?"

"Not good Seifer! We've lost half our men, half of the survivors have been Berserked, and the bad guys keep taking out our tanks and artillery before we can even use them!"

"Dammit!" Seifer yelled, slamming his fist into the display screen that had Raijin's face on it, his gloved hand smashing straight through the plexi-glass and shattering it, sending shards everywhere. "If you don't hold that ridge, Raijin, I'll come down there personally and kill your ass myself!! Understand?!"

The disembodied voice of Raijin was unperturbed by the threat. It hadn't been the first time Seifer had threatened him with death, and it was rare that his best friend actually followed through with them. _"Gotcha Seifer. We'll show these guys who's boss."_

Turning to another screen, Seifer glowered down at the face who looked up at him. "You'd better have good news for me, Colonel Almasy."

The Earth Seifer glowered back up at himself in the screen, explosions and gunfire aplenty in the red background. The two Seifer's had met when Gaia had sent a party to ask for assistance – suffice to say, they hadn't hit it off from the get-go, as the Earth people said. _"I'm a Major, dammit, get it right – and my Marines are only human, Commander Seifer!"_ His voice shouted through the screen. _"We cant fight all day like Gaian's can!"_

"You would be able to if you weren't such pussies, wouldn't you!? The only reason I tolerate your presence is because you Earthlings have got to be the sneakiest bastards I've seen since I fought Squall and the others! Now give me an update on your situation before I come down and gut you myself!"

Major Almasy grinned at the compliment, before speaking up. _"Seeing as we've all been getting ansty about the surprise attack the Heart have been launching at all our secret missions, I decided to go against orders and take the left flank as opposed to the right."_

Seifer groaned. He had worked a full five painstaking hours on that battleplan. "What the _hell_ for, Major?!"

"Because if we had come around from Insertion A and gone to CheckPoint B by following the cliff-face as you said, we would have been caught in the open if they had been atop the cliff – which they were."

Seifer blinked. "…So, what's happening now?"

The sound of a bullet whizzing past Major Almasy's head rang out over the speaker, as well as a deathrattle as a body flopped down onto the Major, who shoved him off as if it happened every day and continued his sit-rep. _"Well, my men managed to take out their scouts with sniper fire and we're proceeding with the main battle-plan, only in reverse. Right now we're negotiating a cease-fire with our M-16's and P-90's with extreme prejudice from the left cliff top and face. We're going to need an ammo drop soon, and the more Remedies you drop the better for those Berserked, but we've managed to send their main attack unit running and we're currently picking off the last few survivors. With your permission I'd like to take our remaining troops after we've taken out these sorry bastards and rendezvous with Raijin – his canyon isn't too far from our position, and if we move quick we ought to outflank the enemy there and get him some support."_

"Two Black-Hawk helos have just been dispatched to your current location…" Seifer said into the speaker, looking about behind him before grabbing a runner by the shirt and pulling him close so they were seeing eye to eye, his voice as cold as death. "Aren't they?"

The runner nodded fearfully, an Earthling soldier who looked like he had eaten too many Balamb Fish, before Seifer released him and sent him running off to deliver the message and info to the pilots.

Seifer turned back to the screen. "Hold that position until the Hawks arrive. I'll reprimand you for disobeying orders when you get back."

Major Almasy grinned at his Doppel through the screen. _"Better be careful, Commander – next time the safety might not be engaged on my Desert Eagle."_

"And next time," Seifer said, his hand hovering over the end-transmission button, "My Hyperion will cut more then your chin whiskers." He said before cutting the link.

"Honestly Seifer, must you be so brash towards the soldiers…" Cid said, walking into the command centre with the rest of the representatives of the Universes they had managed to enlist with them. Men and women from all over Gaia, Earth and Te'Get were present in the struggle to stop the Hearts from dominating the known universes – it was surprising how quickly they had joined forces, especially the Earthlings. All bets were off when it was revealed that the Hearts had already infiltrated the Earth population – the President had been more then happy to join with the Gaians and give them whatever they wanted in order to keep Earth safe.

"No harm done, Headmaster Cid…" General Raijin said, the older version of Seifer's best friend standing beside the old SeeD. "The little misunderstanding at Area 51 was resolved with…little difficulty."

"If I recall, General, we had to Stop the two of them before they killed each other irreversibly."

General Raijin smirked. "I guess men will be men in times of war…even if they're the same man. Some people just don't like themselves."

"How's the situation going, Commander Seifer?" Te'Hard said, the female leader of the Te'Get resistance forces getting right to the point. Although they weren't trained for war, the Te'Gets made up almost half of the Universal's Army – they may not have the skill, but they had the determination and numbers to prove they weren't going to put up with being slaves anymore. Te'Hard was the personification of this ideal – in her fifties and covered in battle scars along with the rest of the men preset, she was as much of a warrior as the rest.

"Ma'am, if we had about twice our numbers and three times the firepower, I don't think we'd be able to keep up the attacking formations we've been using much longer." Seifer said to the woman harshly, turning back to the battle-map and spinning it once more to make up for Major Almasy's altercations to their mission. "It's like the Hearts are telepathically reading our planner's thoughts and setting up their men before our troops ever get to the designated zone."

Commander Carpenter stepped up to the battle-map, flanked by Laguna, who was looking more serious then usual. "Have they hacked into our databases and leeched information that way?" Carpenter asked Seifer.

Laguna shook his head, answering for the angry gunblader. "No way. I had the Estharian anti-bugging unit sweep the entire base several times during our time here, as well as keep an eye on the skies for any hidden satellite transmissions. They hasn't been a single transmission they haven't personally checked for leaks, and they haven't been able to pick up any signals going into the base either."

"They might be using technology more advanced then what we have." General Raijin said solemnly. "It's a major problem in our wars back on Earth."

"I'm afraid not…" Cid said. "The Estharians are rather advanced in their technological field. If there was anything going on, I'm quite certain they would know about it."

"So either we've got one or more spooks on the inside…" Raijin muttered. "…Or there's more to the powers of this 'Sorceress Queen' then we know."

Seifer looked over the men and women as they stood about the battle-plan map, looking down at it, his cold blue eyes analysing each and every one of them, their body movements and facial expressions, his hand lighting curled around the handle of his Hyperion. In actual fact, the Estharian team had been finding strange, encoded messages disappearing into the WarWorld sky every now and then after a major mission briefing – only Seifer hadn't let the team tell Laguna and the others on the 'Universal Council'.

Seifer had an inkling that one of them had been their mole, their 'sleeper' as the Earthlings said. Squall had already been suspecting someone when they came through the Arch back to Gaia, but had been caught up in the rush of things to do a thorough investigation, having to organise the Gaian forces for the War. He had entrusted Seifer to be his second-in-command – as well as to try and smoke out the sleeper Doppelganger.

Seifer's investigations had finally come down to the Council after almost a month of research – after all, checking almost two billion soldiers to make sure they were the real deal wasn't an easy job. Squall had already assumed it was someone high up – the high amount of bad luck they had had in the assassination mission had been way too coincidental to be simple chance, as well as they way the Heart Seifer had played the SeeDs like violins, plucking their strings to make them sing the right songs. Only someone of high rank and of Gaian background would be possible to do that.

Which had left only three candidates in Seifer eyes.

Headmaster Cid.

Commander-In-Chief Carpenter.

President Laguna.

Each could have been turned or replaced with a Doppel at any time – the SeeDs had no real clue how long the Big Arch had been activated, only knowing that it had been present since Ultimecia's death – which left a good chunk of time for someone to wheedle their way into the SeeD ranks and proclaim dominance in place of the real Cid, Laguna or Carpenter.

"How are our numbers compared to theirs, Commander Seifer?" Carpenter said suddenly, breaking Seifer's musing.

"At last count we're somewhere in the fifty million mark, sir." Seifer said, looking up from the plan. "We started with almost two billion."

"So many dead…" Te'Hard whispered.

Of course, Seifer hadn't ruled out the possibility that the Te'Gets or the Earthlings had been turned either. Both of the foreign races had been exposed to the Hearts well before the Gaians had ever heard of them. It was fair to assume that the Te'Gets or the Earthlings could have been in league with the Hearts from the very start of the war.

"Many of those died for their universe and for the sake of the other universes." Laguna said softly. "Don't think of their deaths as being the vain kind."

"What about their numbers?" General Raijin asked.

"After confirmation from several fly-bys by Rinoa, Black Hawk squadrons and Ragnaroks, I think their infantry number at about double ours." Seifer delivered the information coldly, without any emotion except his usual simmering anger. "That's been knocked down from around three to four billion warriors."

Carpenter shook his head in amazement. "I never thought our forces would be this good…to think that our collaborated efforts could knock them back so much…"

"It's only through our magical teams sweeping through the regencies in the heaviest battled areas that we've been able to keep our numbers at an acceptable level." Cid said sadly, his comforting old face drooping slightly. "It seems the Hearts don't care about their comrades when they die – almost as if it's what they're here for…"

"Sending men into battle just to die…what is she thinking?" Raijin muttered, disgust evident in his voice.

"The souls."

Every single person turned to see Squall standing in the main doorway, looking down at the Council as they surrounded the map. Even Seifer was surprised to see Squall up and about – the medical officers had told them that Commander Squall wasn't going to be getting up for a very long time.

"Squall…" Laguna breathed in relief, turning to face his son – before his initial shock gave way to a pride which swelled his chest. "Yep. That's my boy. Takes the hits like a man and keeps on rockin, hey Squall?"

Squall sighed. "I suppose so, father."

Laguna nudged Raijin gently with his elbow. "That's my son, you know."

"The Sorceress Queen doesn't want to win this war – that was never her objective." Squall said, walking out of the doorway and being closely followed by Rinoa, Quistis, Selphie, a limping Irvine, Dee and finally, Zell.

Everybody in the room, even the messenger-bunnies scurrying to get their tasks done, stopped cold as the proclaimed dead man stepped into the room.

Zell had managed to get cleaned up a little with his time with Angel, his tattoo dark on his face as he grinned down at Cid, Commander Carpenter, and Laguna. "Yo."

Cid coughed.

Carpenter spluttered.

Laguna grinned like an idiot. "Booya, right?! I _knew_ you'd show up sooner or later! You're like one of those blow up clowns that people punch, Zell – get knocked down, come right back up and laugh in their faces, right?!"

Zell shrugged and nodded. "Something like that."

Squall stepped up to the table, placing a hand on Seifer's shoulder, who was staring up at Zell, his mouth wide open. Seifer turned to look at Squall, evidently dumbstruck – but Squall simply patted his second-in-command's shoulder and led him to the side a little before taking the head of the table once more. "Ladies and gentlemen, the main objective of Sorceress Queen Heartilly has been, and always has been, to create as much death and destruction as to ensure she had enough spiritual energy to revive her own race – the Angel Race – from the grave."

Rinoa stepped up beside Squall. "She told me herself. She's been living, all alone, for almost half her life, with a burning desire to find someone to compare herself with, to share her life with – to commit with. She's trying to find a way to revive some of her own people…so she wont be alone anymore." She sighed sadly, hesitating before continuing. "But she needs spiritual energy in order to do this – souls. And in massive quantities, which is why we've been running neck and neck with the Heart forces for the last month and a half. She _wants _us to kill her men, she _wants_ our soldiers to be Berserked and turn on each other – because each death is just one more step towards the completion of her goal."

General Raijin didn't know what to make of all of it. Souls…Sorceresses…resurrecting dead races… "…I'm in way over my head…" He breathed, crossing his arms and leaning on the edge of the table. He was, after all, only human – Earthlings didn't even know wether the soul existed. Confusion ran rampart in the man's head, and he suddenly felt the urge to go off and fight with the rest of his Marines and the other Earth Special Forces. He always felt that urge when doing laborious paperwork or attending board meetings – you can take the soldier out of the war, but you cant take the war out of the soldier.

Carpenter was far from confused, however. "So we've been playing into her hands this entire time?! Are you of able mind, Commander Squall?! When I debriefed you when you came back, you told me that she was amassing an army that was going to squash our universes in case we didn't retaliate with a force of equal magnitude, isn't that right?!" He spat, all sense of his former control lost.

Zell turned and looked at Carpenter, his blue eyes narrowing as he watched the Garden Commander-In-Chief's temper boil. _Just like Squall said…lost his cool._

"That's true, Commander Carpenter…" Squall said, sagging gently against the edge of the battle-plan map desk, Rinoa grasping his shoulder with sudden shock – but being waved away as he stood under his own strength. He evidently wasn't fully over his injuries just yet, everyone saw.

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Squall turned his cold grey eyes to Carpenter. "…Because I wanted you to believe that I was ignorant to the Queen's true purpose."

Carpenter blinked. "What…what do you mean?"

"I think you know, Carpenter."

Carpenter narrowed his eyes. "You will address me as Commander, Mr. Leonhart."

One of the doorways on the side of the room opened suddenly, allowing the entrance of a tall, blond haired man with wire-frame spectacles perched on his nose and a beaten old laptop tucked under his shoulder. "Why address someone by a name they never gained – at least, not legibly." Julius Garner said, walking into the room with a sure stride.

The fist fighter, like all the other people in the room, was covered in red dust and was sporting a few new scars – his left eye, still a light sky blue, had a jagged white line trailing down over it behind his spectacles, and it looked like someone had almost cut off his nose judging by the white line lacing horizontally over the bridge. As he walked in he nodded a greeting to the Sorceress Heroes – and winked at Zell. "Hiya Zell. Got the tattoo back, I see. Good to have you back, pal."

Zell smiled back at his friend – before realising that he had been the only one besides Squall to not be surprised by his appearance. "Good to be back, Jules."

"Someone tell me what is going on?!" Carpenter ordered firmly, his hands balled into fists and shaking uncontrollably as stares began to descend onto him – before his eyes widened as something cold and metallic was jabbed into his back.

Irvine smiled down at the brown-haired man. "Just shut up, pal – otherwise you'll miss the exciting part." He jabbed the Vincent Valentine .45 calibre handgun in his left hand into Carpenter's back to punctuate the point as his right pulled up a chair – and shoving Carpenter into it. "Sit. Stay."

Squall let out a heavy breath, before turning to Julius. "Julius, please enlighten the Council of the information that you and Seifer have gathered and have been gathering over the course of the events leading up to this moment."

"With pleasure, Commander." Julius said, drawing up his own chair at the head of the display desk and sitting down, putting his laptop on the desk and connecting it a port next to the small read-out screen.

Flipping the laptop open, Julius spoke as his fingers whirled over the keyboard, his spectacles reflecting the soft glow of the screen as his words drew the attention of the people in the room. "Ladies and gentlemen, as you are well aware our war has been far from successful on most fronts."

Tapping a few keys the main holo-deck sprang into life, showing two bars, the left twice the size of the right. "As you can see from this graph, the enemy were twice our numbers at the start of this war." Pressing another button let a small numerical display blink into life next to the bars, the numbers rising rapidly as the bars dropped dramatically. "As you can see, the decline of numbers between the two forces have been, for the extent of the battle, equal – they have always been a step ahead of us in deployment and troops, and it is because of this reason that we have been declining along with them. I estimate that if we attack with our original forces and under normal circumstances, this war would have been over weeks ago, with the Universals as the victors."

He pressed another button and two more bars sprang up next to the declining ones, these ones of the same size as they former were before their steady drop. Julius pressed another key and the second set began to fall as well – but instead of declining evenly, the smaller bar stayed in place whilst the other fell like a rock dropped into a pool of water.

General Raijin watched the graphs. "You said under normal conditions. What are the variables of these graphs?"

Julius looked up at the General. "The first set of bars shows the effects of the war if someone on the inside was feeding information to the enemy on an almost daily basis. The second set shows if there was no such espionage."

The Earthling narrowed his eyes and shot a glance to Carpenter, who said nothing.

Julius looked back down at his screen. "In all manners of war-faring sense, the Universals may not have the numbers of the Hearts, but we sure do have the skill and equipment. It's been estimated that one Gaian can take down about five normal Heart soldiers, and as I know through personal experience it only takes a well trained SeeD to get past the Orihalcon armour and Adamantine armour issued to the higher-ranking Heart soldiers."

"And it's not just the Gaian's who have been fighting with impressive results – the armaments from Earth have been a blessing to the Te'Gets, and the Earth Special Forces have amassed a gigantic kill record for their numbers. I believe the record is one unit of…SEAL, is it? Destroyed several of the Heart war machines in a manner of minutes with the use of their plastic explosives and demolition skills. Also, the Earth Forces have been very adept in scouting out and eliminating Heart ranking officers using subtle sniping and expert bombing raids."

General Raijin simply smiled smugly and said nothing.

Julius continued, getting fired up as he spoke. "It was only through these tactics we have been able to stand against the Hearts the way we have – it's believed that the longer we had been fighting against them under our current conditions, the greater the chance that our forces will be completely depleted in less then…" He stabbed his finger down on a key, a display coming up on the hologram.

"…Less then three weeks?!" Laguna cried in surprise.

"Oh, that's what it says…" General Raijin said with a smile. As with all the Earth forces, he was wearing a communication device to listen into the Gaian's and Te'Gets – reading, however, was an entirely different matter.

Julius nodded to Laguna. "However, I believe that, with the current strength of our forces we can sustain an all-out attack, forcing the weaker and less adept Hearts back to their main base. The strength of our forces will overwhelm them in a manner of hours, and in less time we will be able to launch our secret attack on the Queen."

Carpenter looked up then. "What do you mean?"

Julius looked at Carpenter. "As we attack with our men the Hearts will have no choice but to fling their entire force at us – their only strength, it seems, is their numbers. During that time a select group of SeeDs will fly in on Black Hawks or Ragnaroks, steal their way into the base, and destroy the Queen."

Carpenter shook his head. "This is insane! You're willing to pit your men against a force twice their numbers?!"

"The difference is, Mr. Carpenter, is that it'll work this time." Squall said.

"And how do you know that?!"

"Because we've got the sleeper in our sights." Irvine muttered, his gun resting gently against the back of Carpenter's head.

Every single eye turned to Carpenter, who was seething in his seat. "You've gone crazy, damn you! I'm your Commander-In-Chief, how dare you accuse me of this!"

"The signs were all there, Commander." Squall said, resting gently against Rinoa. "We just didn't have all the pieces of the puzzle until Zell came back."

Zell stepped forward, his tattooed face grim as he turned to the Council. "Through the mission we've been having trouble spring up that simply shouldn't have been there – the fire and our rooms being ransacked at the start, the welcoming committee when we first went through the Big Arch, our capture and torture by the Crisps, and the arrival of Azel to the Immortal world were all things that were tweaking my curiosity as I waited to get back."

"Then the mole at Area 51, and the elaborate scheme to capture Rinoa in the Heart world…as well as our increasing bad luck in the war…" Squall muttered. "It was obvious that something was wrong all the way through the mission – from within, as well as from Gaia."

Julius looked at Carpenter, his face expressionless. "When did you join SeeD, Commander?"

Carpenter blinked. "You think I'm…?"

"When did you become a SeeD, Matthew Carpenter? Which Garden did you train and teach in before you became the Commander? How many missions have you performed during your time in SeeD?" Julius continued.

"I…" Carpenter fumbled for words, looking more and more lost as he looked about the room for support…but nobody was offering any.

Julius had had enough. He stood up and tapped a few more keys into the keyboard of his laptop. "In our first…and only mission statement, at least to my knowledge, we spoke briefly. You were surprised to find me making the statement – you told me that you had expected Zell to make them, but I had a feeling you meant someone else. Also, after we spoke about Trish and Emily, you called the Arch the 'Tidus', the name that the Hearts and the Te'Gets call it." Julius cocked his head to one side. "I hadn't told you that name, sir. Nobody called it a 'Tidus' in Gaia. The consequence that the names would be the same in several universes would be astronomical – especially since we hadn't deciphered the Angel language yet."

Carpenter gulped. He'd been found out by a simple slip of the tongue.

Squall stepped forward with Rinoa's help and looked down to Carpenter. "We know you've been sending the Queen secret messages regarding our troops, Carpenter. We know you were the one who ransacked our rooms and planted the explosives in Balamb Garden during the Garden war-games. I checked the records when I got back – you were absent during the whole day. Plenty of time to go through our quarters and plant explosive devices in the security room."

Zell sighed. This was the hard part. "Of course, now we know who the Garden Mole was, we need to know who the mole in our team was. Obviously it wasn't me, Rinoa, Squall and Veronica for obvious reasons – which leaves Julius, Trish and Emily." He said, looking over to Julius. "Jules has been nothing but a boon to Squall and Rinoa whilst I was away, so we know it wasn't him…which just leaves the girls."

"Both of them are able to use Blues, which means telepathically linking with them is more difficult then usual." Rinoa said. "If I tried to check them out, I find myself unable to focus on their thoughts."

"The two of them have secret pasts that they have not shared with anyone but each other, and they had been spending increasingly large amounts of time together too. They confide with each other, and even sleep in the same room. It's obvious they've gotten close – which makes it even harder to figure out which one was our mole." Squall growled, turning to Carpenter. "So, 'Commander'," Squall muttered, spitting the title out as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. "If you wish to have a quick and painless death, you had better tell us who it is."

Carpenter sighed and looked down at his hands. He had been caught out, it seemed. And, seeing as the Queen had refused his constant requests for him to return to her, abandoning him after wasting years infiltrating and building himself up as a Commander in the SeeD forces…he had nothing to live for. He was disillusioned, unable to grasp why she had left him or what he had done to deserve it.

_But_, he thought as his mind rankled at the thought of the SeeDs achieving his task, _at least this way I'll be able to show her that I can still be of some use to someone other then her…_

Trish ducked behind Emily fearfully as the shells whistled over their heads, flying into the red horizon to explode brilliantly, lighting up the twilight as the gigantic red sun sank down behind the mountains, revealing itself periodically from the blanket of clouds before disappearing behind the cover once more. "Are you sure I ought to be out here?!" Trish cried to Emily, grasping her leg and quivering slightly as red pebbles and debris rained down on them. "I'm a thief, not a fighter!!"

"The whole point is to make you a fighter!" Emily shouted down to her, looking left and right as her squad of SeeDs fell back to the ridge they had retreated to. "If you don't like it then go back to base!"

Trish pouted and looked down at her battle-cracked armour and fighting gauntlets – but said nothing.

Emily smirked. The girl has spirit in all the wrong places… She thought as she looked over the ridge briefly, seeing that the remainder of the enemy had already regrouped and had begun to advance on their position. She quickly ducked back down as bullets marred the rock she had glanced over, digging great holes and chunks from it's surface and shooting clouds of red dust in her face as she huddled behind it with her lover.

One of the SeeDs crawled up beside her, his face bloody on one side, his hands grasping an Earth rifle. "Ma'am, we've just received word that reinforcements will be arriving soon, ETA. Our orders?"

Emily grimaced and looked up at the sky. She had hoped that Squall would not make her a squad leader – but, of course, he had, which riled her right up. She was a loner, lone wolf – it was the reason she acted the way she did, the reason she dressed. Why would she want to command a squad of five hundred crack SeeD troops? The logic behind it was incomprehensible to her. All she wanted was to fight and spend time with Trish… "Regroup and make contact with Raijin's forces – they ought to be on that other ridge behind us. We will hold this ridge until our reinforcements get here – got that?!"

The man tried to salute but realised his arm was broken, so he did it with his other arm. "Yes ma'am!"

"And get that arm looked at!!" Emily yelled as the man scurried off.

Ducking back down she looked over to Trish, who was staring at her with a look of awe. "I hate it when you do that." Emily muttered morosely, avoiding her gaze. "Stop it."

"I cant help it…" Trish whispered. "…I keep thinking about how different you get when we're out here…it's like you're a completely different person from..."

"From what? The bedroom?"

Trish bit her bottom lip and looked down at her gauntlets again, falling silent.

Emily looked away as well, mentally kicking herself for speaking out. She does change when in the battlefield – you need to change. This isn't a mission where you're up against one or two people, where you interact with them and get to know them – this is war, where the people you're up against are legion and faceless, and where you are not alone. In order to survive you must work as a team – she may not like it, but she couldn't deny the fact that it had saved her life on numerable occasions…

As always when she said something that hurt Trish, Emily scooted forward to give her a kiss on the forehead and to draw her into a rare but affectionate hug, exclusively dealt to Trish and Trish alone, and as always Trish accepted the hug with reverence.

That was one of the things that Emily liked about Trish. Her easy acceptance and her forgiving attitude.

Drawing away Emily placed her hands on Trish's shoulders. "Okay. We're going to go back out there now. Are you ready?"

Trish sighed and made sure her gauntlets were on snug before nodding, a small smile on her dust-covered face.

_Impossible…it's impossible…_ Zell thought to himself as the Ragnarok shot through the sky at unbelievable speeds.

Somebody was talking to him – Irvine possibly – and was telling him about how the Estharians and the Galbadians had worked for three days straight to create a massively gigantic Arch, big enough to send the giant mechanical Dragons through in one piece so they didn't need to break them down and set them up later. He was beginning to mutter on about how they had done the same thing with the Earthlings and the Te'Gets to make sure fresh troops could come in and out at will when Zell rammed his Uber Ehrgiez Gauntlet into the unoccupied seat beside him, the metal bending under his fist as he tried to relieve some of the tension in his gut.

"Okay, Hyne, I'll shut up then…" Irvine muttered, sitting back in his seat and pulling out the M4 Carbine that the Earthlings had given him from his side, checking and rechecking the M204 grenade launcher fitted snugly beneath the main barrel before making sure it was cocked, locked and ready to rock.

…_How could I not see it? Was she that good at playing all of us? _Zell thought again as the Ragnarok dipped and swerved through the mountain ranges over the piles upon piles of dead corpses and bearing down swiftly on the fight that was raging just a few miles away…

Emily swung her leg around and broke the man's jaw in half with her heel before the leg landed – and she stepped forward to smash her fists into his chest, sending him flying back into the crowd of Hearts and disappearing into the throng.

Throwing her head to the side she deftly blocked a right cross from behind before sending out a mule-kick which took the man right in the guts, sending him to the ground crying out in agony. Spinning and throwing her hands out at the group that was bearing down at her, her eyes flashed blue – before the entire ground suddenly rose, great sheets of rock carrying the confused men up high into the sky – before dropping, as if the wind had suddenly died down whilst carrying a falling leaf into the sky, the leaf obeying the laws of gravity once more.

The group of men crashed to the ground sending bodies flying everywhere and Emily was given a short reprieve as the men tried to pick themselves up, the warrior-woman turning to look for Trish.

The thief, contrary to her grievances for being on the field, was actually holding her own. Staying to the back of the group, she ran forward to take out any men who tried to get around and flank the SeeDs, bashing the small teams of three or four with her usual strategy – tackle one to the ground before teleporting away to perform sneak attacks on the men, appearing within their group and making them lash out only to hit each other, not really fighting at all – just letting them kill each other before getting rid of the last man standing.

Snapping the Heart's neck with a sombre expression, she dropped the man's body and turned to Emily – to flash her a courageous smile.

Emily didn't acknowledge the smile with one of her own – she simply turned and threw herself into the enemy once more, satisfied that she was holding her own.

Smashing her fist into a man's face and caving his skull in, Emily pushed his body down and flipped over him to hook her legs around the shoulders of another Heart soldier, her crotch bumping against his face for a brief second – before she squeezed her thighs against the sides of his head and twisted her hips suddenly, breaking his neck and causing him to fall to the ground with her toppling along with him. Falling hard and rolling off the body before she could be trapped beneath it, Emily found herself staring up at several advancing Heart, racing towards her with their weapons held high – before she threw her hand out to them, an Aero blowing them all out of her face and into the distance.

Flipping up to her feet she looked left and right again. Amazingly they were holding their own – she could see Raijin spinning his thick club in the middle of a hoard of men, bodies flinging and flying in all directions as he smacked them out of this world. His and her SeeDs were also hold their ground with admirable dedication – the Hearts were only fitted with what seemed like old armour, not even Adamantine, and these ones didn't seem to have Berserk junctioned to their weapons – indeed, it was like they were only fighting just to die…

All of a sudden there was a deep roaring in the background, like some kind of magical dragon was beginning to bear down on them, and Emily almost sighed with relief as several Ragnaroks flew over them at incredible speeds, slashing through the sky like red, blue and green deities.

The SeeDs stopped their fighting for a second to pump their fists into the blood-red sky and whoop out a cheer as the massive dragons banked around and began to return for another pass, the Hearts now hesitant in their fighting – before they all placed their hands to their left ears, listening to a command coming in over their radio head-sets – before discarding their weapons and retreating, running back the way they came.

The red Ragnarok slashed through the sky with it's mini-guns blazing, sending sizzling metal through the air like water form a hose, washing down the retreating enemy with no mercy, dust slashing out from the ground around their bodies as the Hearts simply evaporated under the extreme barrage of gunfire.

Lowering her fists and shaking her head, sending beads of sweat and blood in all directions, Emily raised her hand to keep the dust from her eyes as the Ragnarok's lower burners activated, allowing it to hover in the air and kick up massive quantities of sand and dust in all directions. Watching the massive dragon's back compartment open and allow a team of people to jump down, Emily suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Trish smiling at her.

"We're going to go back to base now, right?" Trish asked.

"I suppose…" Emily muttered in reply, turning back to watch three figures, concealed in the dust and breaking away from the main group, run towards the nearest SeeD and speak to him before being pointed towards her and Trish. The other began to rally her troops up and get them into the Ragnarok.

Trish breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against Emily gratefully, rubbing her cheek against Emily's and feeling the smoothness of it. "Thank the gods…I don't think I'll ever get this dust off my skin…and this blood…it's good we get combat fatigues instead of being dressed in our own clothes…"

"Don't worry." Emily said absently, watching the three men approach them. "When we get back I'll make sure to wash you clean."

"Is that a promise?" Trish asked with a giggle – before looking forward to watch the three men approach them. "Hey, who are they?"

Irvine looked at Julius and Zell as they neared the two women. "Uh…are they…you know…sliced wholemeal instead of white, if you catch my drift?" He asked uncertainly, seeing the way they stood together.

"Yeah." Julius said with an affirming tone. "…They started somewhere in the Immortal World, I think."

"…It's only going to make this harder on her, you know." Irvine muttered, looking back at the two women, making sure the Carbine was held in his hands but not threateningly. "She's not going to take it well."

"Would you if it was Selphie?"

Irvine sighed and nodded. "Yeah…you're right."

Zell said nothing. He simply walked forward, ignoring the others as the dust finally crept away from him, revealing his face to the pair.

As usual, there was the initial surprise etched into their faces – before Emily smirked. "Well well well, Hunter – I should've known that losing your head wouldn't have kept you down."

"I'm strange like that, Emily…" Zell said with his own smirk.

Emily shook her head and looked away as if having to be forced to deal with a child as his joke sank in.

Trish stood behind Emily, her mouth wide open as she looked Zell up and down again. "Z-zell?! Is it really you?!"

"Yup. I'm back, Trish. Hard to believe?" Zell muttered with a small smile, before beckoning Emily forward. "We've been sent here to bring you back to base, Emily. Come and give me a sit-rep."

Emily and Trish began to walk forward – before Zell raised his hand to stop them. "Sorry Trish, just Emily."

The two girls looked at each other, some kind of secret message being sent between them before Emily looked back at Zell. "Why can't she come too?"

"New procedures. We think we've discovered a mole in the ranks of your unit, as we need to debrief the squad leaders in private." Julius said evenly, keeping his eye firmly on the two girls.

Emily took a step back, making sure Trish was behind her as she looked over the three men, spotting the differences as she snarled her words. "Why so formal, Hunter? And I'd take your finger off the trigger if I were you, Slayer…?"

"Just making sure nothing bad happens, Em." Irvine said, keeping the stock of the rifle against his shoulder but having the barrel lowered.

"Emily…they're scaring me…" Trish whispered to Emily.

Emily blinked, her stomach growing tight as her eyes darted from Zell to Julius to Irvine. "Hunter…"

"Emily, step away from Trish." Zell said sadly.

"No."

"Emily, it's an order."

"I said no."

"Emily…don't make me move you by force."

"You'll have to…" she spat back – before her eyes widened as she drew in a sharp breath, feeling something jut through her stomach.

Zell grimaced as he watched the tip of a knife press against the back of Emily's breastplate, pushing the Adamantine forward and creating a bloody patch as the red liquid seeped through the plating around her armpits and abdomen.

Emily's grey eyes went wide as she choked, coughing hoarsely as she turned her head – to looked down at Trish, her slim fingers curled around the hilt of a wickedly-sharp knife, the blade cutting straight through the armour in her back to jab deep into her spine. "…Wh…what…" Emily gasped, unable to comprehend the motion as Trish looked up to her with sad eyes.

"It was fun, Emily…it really was…but my Queen needs me…" Trish whispered, her free hand gripping the shoulder-blade of the armour as she jammed the knife in deeper, twisting the blade within the wound.

Julius began to run forward – before Irvine shouted, the Carbine to his shoulder and pointed towards the hidden Trish. "Stay back!! If she lets off some magic we wont be able to revive Emily – so stay away!!"

Emily was in excruciating pain, and as the blood coursed past her lips she felt something wet on her cheeks, cutting channels through the dust caked on her face. Confusion raged in her mind once more – before she realised what it was.

Tears. Tears of betrayal, tears of deceit found out – tears of deception. This was the pure reason she hadn't gotten close to anybody in a long, long time – she feared a knife in the back.

She never figured she would receive one literally.

She groaned as the knife was pulled from her back, blood pouring from the wound – before she felt Trish's slim arms wrap around her neck and felt the tip of the knife enter her throat, jammed in deep, all the way to the hilt.

She felt nothing then. A small tickling sensation on the nape of her neck, which she found annoying – before she figured that was the tip of the knife exiting from behind her neck, so she let it slide.

Instead she found herself hearing the voice of her betraying lover beside her ear. "Let me leave, Zell, and I'll leave her in a revivable shape."

"You know we can't do that, Trish." The Hunter replied. "You're responsible for the deaths of millions of our soldiers, as well as all the shit you put us through during the mission. Letting you walk would just be another opportunity to let you stab us in the back."

"You'd let her die, a comrade in arms, a friend?" Trish muttered back. "You SeeDs are fucking heartless, you know that? Julius, you know all about that, huh?"

Emily watched Julius' face pale slightly – but he spoke up all the same. "Let her go, Trish."

"If I tear this knife out to the left, I sever her spine and render her a cripple. I can then teleport us away so you'll never find her – at least, not in enough time to heal her completely."

Zell tried another tactic. "Let us help you, Trish."

Her beautiful laughter entered Emily's ear like an electrocution to her brain, shocking every nerve. "How can you help me, Hunter?! You have nothing I need!!"

"You two have had sex, yeah?"

Trish snorted. "Not that it's any of your concern, but yes!" Trish's voice echoed in her ear as she spoke directly to her. "…And I loved every second of it…"

"Did Emily tell you of her Blues?"

Trish faltered slightly as she looked back up to Zell. "…Of course…"

"Then you know that her kiss, no matter who she gives it to, is deadly."

Trish looked down at Emily, trapped in her arms with the knife still stabbed deep into her throat, blood pulsing from the wound. "You're…you're lying…there's no such thing…"

"It's true." Irvine muttered. "Zell and me have been victim to it. Zell almost died from it, and me…well, lets just say I wasn't myself. And remember the guy in the Crisp world, the guy we needed info from?"

"You…you're lying!! Damn you, it's not possible! She was in love with me!!"

"You obviously don't know Emily as well as I do…" Zell said slowly. "So alone…so scared of everything…if she found someone who gave her unconditional love, I'd put all my money on the fact that she would do _anything _to keep them…even to the point of physical blackmail."

Trish's pretty face curled into a snarl as she looked back down to Emily. "…It's true, isn't it?! You bitch, you've killed me!!"

Emily, feeling betrayed and more hurt then any wound would give her, felt a small sense of satisfaction as her purple lips twisted into a deadly smile – before her hand reached up to grasp the hand holding the knife into her throat.

Trish blinked. "Hey!!" she yelled – before her eyes flashed blue…

…To do nothing. "What the fuck?!" She screamed. "What have you done to me?! I cant teleport!!"

"It's one of Emily's blues…" Zell muttered. "I checked with Carpenter. She has the ability to block a person's magic – that's why he sent her along on the mission. To make sure that Rinoa didn't turn Angel and screw up his plans by killing the Queen. She was ordered to keep tabs on Rinoa and make sure that I was the one to kill the Queen. Unfortunately, she never got the chance to use that Blue – otherwise everything might have turned out a hell of a lot differently…"

Trish wasn't listening, however. She struggled against Emily's grip, shaking her hand with the knife firmly lodge in her neck as Emily's grip seemed to grow stronger. "Let go, you bitch!!" Trish screamed at her, trying desperately to yank the blade out and run – but Emily's grasp was too strong, and running from behind Emily would give Zell, Julius and Irvine a clear shot.

Irvine, for that matter, had the Carbine trained on the two woman as they battled for control of the arm, his gun wavering left and right as her tried to get a bead on Trish's pretty face. "All I need is one opening…c'mon Emily, just gimme one opening…" He whispered to himself, his eyes looking right through the small M68 sight, designed to be looked through with both eyes for close-quarters combat.

Emily burst of strength was beginning to wane, however. Her blood was pumping through the stab in her back and from her neck at an alarming rate, and as she felt her grip on Trish's hand loosen, she watched as the edges of her sight began to grow dark, blackness closing in around her…before everything sharpened as her feeling came back, the knife ripping through her neck and severing her spinal cord, leaving her head attached to her body by only a few threads of muscle.

"You should've died from my Smoke Demon…" Trish whispered into Emily's ear as everything began to grow dark once more. "…I was telling the truth when I was having fun…"

But the rest was lost as Emily passed on into the great unknown.

Her captive dead, Trish dumped the body and looked up – to look down the barrel of Irvine's Carbine.

There was no time to draw on the necessary energy to cast the teleportation Blue. The velocity of a bullet from several yards away was too much for her to comprehend as she watched the barrel flare brightly…

The 5.56mm rounds flew true as usual, drilling five neat holes into Trish's forehead and blasting the back of her head into a bloody mess, reducing her brain to pulp and making her golden hair fly out and scatter in the wind.

Irvine stood where he had been positioned, the barrel of his Carbine smoking as he stayed in place like a statue. He had liked Trish. They had talked a few times, and she had playfully stolen a few of his things whilst they had become friends. She had even hit on him once or twice.

Julius looked down at the bodies of two of his comrades and simply shook his head. He had thought he had known them…had thought he had almost come to understand them. It was obvious now that there was no real way to truly know a person inside and out. They all had their secrets and their demons…and the only way to have them known was for them to be revealed willingly.

Zell simply sank to his knees. He had been too late to save either of them.

_Didn't see that coming, huh?_

_Don't worry, peeps, I'm getting there, slowly but surely. Just make sure to hang in for the next chapter – the big battle is coming up, not to mention not one, not two…but six GF's!! Am I insane!? My friends say so!! _

_Plus, the battle you're all waiting for…Azel VS Zell. How will it turn out? Lets just say Zell will never be the same again._


	31. Beginning Of The End

Ch 31 – Beginning Of The End

Angel looked down at the sleeping Dee with something that bordered on muted surprise and awe, amazed at the figure curled tightly into a ball within the covers of the bed. Born from her but not from her…it was confusing, but at the same time, a relief. She knew, if Zell and her ever did have children, that this would be the end result – and she was more then pleased with that fact. She understood that it hadn't been at Zell's request, and she also recognised the fact that there was no real way around it.

But…the way she had hugged Angel when they had finally met…

The time that Zell had spent with her had been a boon. Angel knew that.

The bathroom door finally opened, letting clouds of hot steam and a very clean Zell to walk out, a towel wrapped around his naked waist and his hand scratching his head. "Man it's good to be clean!" He said with obvious relish, rubbing his still wet blond hair and flicking water everywhere.

The Dincht's now had executive sleeping quarters – it seemed that the Heart's previous opponents had been lenient enough to make decent accommodations for a good number of people. The rooms in the living section were buried deep under the earth, nearer to the centre of the planet where it was warmer then the harsh top-side. Whoever had built the place had made sure that over fifty million people could live in the base without fear of being cramped – several other bases like this one was scattered all over the planet, each with the capacity to hold enough people to house a third-world country. Families were allowed to sleep together, as well as married couples – no need in keeping loved ones separated during war. Each compartment, too, had a small kitchen/living room area and a separate bedroom with a bathroom. Everything a small family would need.

Angel blinked at his body again. When he had taken his shirt off before and said he was taking a shower his body had been so covered in grime and dirt that she hadn't been able to see the full extent of the Immortal's recovery procedure. Now she saw his chest, his muscle perfectly formed, not one scar to be seen, the skin all tanned golden, a stark contrast to the collage of damage she had been used to.

Zell scratched his belly absently as he walked over through the tiny compartment to grab a drink from the fridge. "What?" he asked with a chuckle.

"I…I'm just surprised. At…all the new changes." She whispered, looking down at Dee before looking up at Zell again. "Her…you…and now the order to advance…it's all coming to a head, and so many new things are happening all at once…I'm a bit confused about…everything."

Zell placed his can of drink down and walked over to her, crouching down and taking her hand. "Hey Angel – we're back together now. And Dee…was a surprise to me too, but she's a wonderful kid." He smirked. "At least we wont have to raise her – I think she's smarter then you and I put together, and she's obviously got your looks…"

"She's got _your_ looks." Angel corrected with a giggle, looking down at Dee before tenderly brushing a lock of long golden hair from her face.

"Whatever, the point is that it's not going to change a thing – we're going to get through this, we're going to go back home together, and we're going to live happily ever after, right?"

Angel nodded, tears welling up in her chocolate-brown eyes. "I know, Zell…and I love you. You know that…right?"

_She's still hurting…she thinks she betrayed me…_Zell thought, quickly collecting her up into his arms. "And I love you, and I know that no matter what happens or whats happened, that'll never change – right?"

Angel nodded in his arms, weeping openly into his broad chest…

"Hyne, will you guys go to bed already?" Dee murmured with annoyance, rolling over to present her back to them. "You're making too much noise."

The base was asleep.

Night time had come to the WarWorld, the deep red sun sinking under the boiling sky and enveloping everything into darkness. During the day the red sky made the clouds look like fluffy balls of blood, rolling in the sky – at night it looked relatively sane. Not only that, but the bones and corpses that littered the ground were also gone, melting into the darkness as it rolled across the land.

Squall stood at the entrance of the base, a crutch under each arm, looking out over the empty field before him.

Every now and then a loud boom would report from the horizon, followed by a large glow that lit up the sky…before the world fell silent once more.

He looked down at the ground, looking at the rocky dirt and red dust as a stiff breeze was kicked up all around him.

He wondered just how tomorrow would turn out. Although he had confirmations that all the information Julius had given the Council had been one-hundred percent accurate, there was still the chance of random-probability. The squad leaders to the east and west might not get the messages in time, and the main force could be flanked. The Ragnarok which would fly them over the battle could take a hit in a vital spot, crashing to the ground and obliterating everyone within it. Luck or bad luck…karma, as some of the Earthlings called it…was it in their favour? Would they live to see their homes again?

Squall suddenly felt like he was the only one truly awake…

His musing was interrupted by a figure walking out from the darkness.

Julius blinked as he looked down the barrel of Squall's pistol, given to him by one of the Earthlings – 'just in case', the man had said. "Whoa, easy there Squall – I'm one of the good guys, remember?"

Squall kept the weapon trained on the hacker, however. "It's hard to tell, these days. What are you doing out this late?"

Julius put his hands in his pockets, obviously not worried. "Drawing some Magic for the fight tomorrow and out for a stroll. You?"

Squall's hand was beginning to tremble from holding the projectile weapon up, so he lowered it, flipping the safety on like Irvine had taught him and tucking it into his waistband. He would be better in the morning, he knew it. "Getting some fresh air." He muttered absently.

"…Couldn't sleep either, eh?" Julius said, walking forward to stand next to his comrade and look out at this strange world with him. He couldn't blame Squall. His job was more then stressful – the grey-eyed gunblader had a will of iron to keep up with everything, especially in the condition he was in now.

Squall nodded slowly, almost in defeat. "Yes…and Rinoa forced me out of the room."

Julius snorted and nodded knowingly. "Veronica did the same to me. I wonder if they're having a girl's night out?"

"It's possible. They need one, seeing as all that's happened today…"

Julius nodded and sighed, looking down at the ground like Squall did. "…It's a shame, Emily and Trish turning out the way they did."

"A vicious circle." Squall murmured. "Carpenter using Emily to keep tabs on Trish and Rinoa…Trish burrowing so deep she dug herself in too far…Emily falling in love with her and making it so no one else could ever have her…" His grey eyes narrowed. "Tragic."

"What will happen to Carpenter?"

"He's being held in the cells for now, guarded at all times. When we take care of things here we'll decide what to do with him."

Julius fell silent once more, looking out over the fields and into the mountains, as if answers lay within them.

Squall also became silent, following Julius' gaze. The wind died down, leaving them swamped by roaring silence, and what felt like the first time in a long while, Squall felt the need to break the deafening roar, to quell the silence that was plaguing them. Julius wasn't just a friend – he was a comrade in arms, a fellow warrior who had bled alongside him during the mission. "You know…after this is over…" Squall said, looking out towards the west as another boom echoed into the night, sending a glow into the clouds. "…I can make sure that your SeeD status isn't made redundant. You can come back to Garden, if you wish."

Julius looked down at Squall in shock, watching the man as he looked away into the distance, not looking back up at Julius. This made him smile. "Thanks…but no thanks. I think…after this…I'll go somewhere and settle down with Veronica. Live the life we were supposed to live. Get married…have kids…you know. All that mushy crap that you're supposed to do after you've beaten the bad guy and ridden off into the sunset."

Squall narrowed his eyes – but smiled a small smile, the expression hidden from Julius. "Then I wish you luck as you ride into the sunset," Squall whispered, "And I give you my blessing as the Commander of Balamb Garden."

Julius chuckled, patting Squall on the shoulder, one comrade to another. "Well, that makes me feel a hell of a lot better, Commander. I'll make sure to get you an invitation to the wedding."

"I'll be waiting for it."

Julius nodded, before turning to go – and pausing, looking over his shoulder at the brown-haired gunblader. "Just one last thing…"

Squall continued to look out into the horizon.

Julius kept talking. "…When you killed the Rinoa in the bed in the Heart Universe…how did you feel? About…killing the woman you loved, I mean."

"I think, for the briefest second, I felt much like you did when you killed the woman in the Crisp universe." Squall said, still looking out into the distance. "But then I remembered that she wasn't my Rinoa…and that I would never be able to kill her, no matter how hard someone pushed me."

"So you feel no regret? About having to do it again?"

Squall turned his head slightly. "You didn't kill Veronica, Julius. Veronica is with you now. That is all you have to focus on. If you dwell on the past too much, you allow it to consume you – you know that all too well, as do I. She is with you and loves you dearly – and if you see another Doppel, you'll understand how I know this."

Julius nodded…before looking up. "…You still didn't answer my question."

Squall turned his head away, looking out into the distance again. "I know."

Pausing for a second, Julius nodded slowly before walking back into the base, the door sliding shut behind him and clanging closed with an ominous boom.

Squall narrowed his eyes into tiny slits, remembering the haunting laugher of the Queen as she stared down at him with his Sorceress in his arms, his friends wounded around him, at her mercy. He remembered the snarling face as she turned into the Angel, lashing out at him.

"No regrets." He muttered, the wind picking up his words and carrying them off into the outstrip of the world, lost in the red planes.

Veronica felt her sparkling tears fall down to the floor as she looked down at the photo that Rinoa had handed to her, the silvery liquid dripping to the floor before evaporating almost instantly.

The blond girl was definitely Zell's daughter – and the girl to the right resembled Squall and Rinoa more then anything…so the one in the middle, with the brown hair and the bright blue eyes was…

"What's her name again?" Veronica whispered, wishing she could see the girl better.

"Maxine – they call her Max for short." Rinoa said with a smile. "Dee says she's a whiz at computers."

Veronica laughed at that, more tears spilling down her glossy cheeks, leaving bright silver trails as they ran down her face. "That figures, huh, Julius being so into computers and everything…" She said – before sniffing. "I…I had no idea, huh?"

"Neither did I." Rinoa said comfortingly.

"And…there's no way to go back there? To…meet them?"

Rinoa shook her head. "No. We…we don't have the Universal address for the Immortal world." She watched Veronica lean forward slowly and placed her arm around her shoulder. "Come on, it's not that bad…just…think of it like I do."

Veronica's shoulders heaved as she sniffed and looked up. "How…" She whispered, looking at Rinoa with her silver eyes. "…How do you think of it?"

"I think of it like…like I know they're alright. That they're living their lives in comfort…without war, or famine…they don't need to be scared of any of this stuff we're going through now. They're happy where they are…and that, knowing that, I can look forward without having to worry about them. Cause anyways, they're all grown up, huh?"

"It would've been nice, though…" Veronica sniffed. "…To watch them grow up."

Rinoa leaned forward with a smile. "You still can, you know."

Veronica blinked, wiping a tear away – before realising what Rinoa meant. "Yes…yes, you're right. I…I can watch them grow up…in our world…from me…"

Rinoa nodded. "Yup. See? There's nothing to be sad about, is there?"

"N-no…there's not…" She whispered, looking down at the photo again…before looking up at Rinoa again. "Do…do I have to tell Julius about this?"

Rinoa blinked. "Well, I guess if you want to…but why would you not want to?"

Veronica looked down at the photo again…before placing it down, face down, not wanting to torture herself anymore. "If I tell Julius…there's a good chance he'll tear Gaia apart trying to find a way to find her. And…if she's going to live her life in the Immortal world…I don't think I want Julius to ruin it for her by making us impede."

"Its…it's your decision, of course…" Rinoa said quietly. "…Of course, if I had the address to the Immortal world, I would be there in less then a second…but…I understand what you mean. Squall…Squall knows, but he understands that there's no way for us to go back…and he understands that if we did find a way we wouldn't be allow to do anything with her…like…take her back with us or anything…so…"

Her hesitant words floundered to a stop. She knew exactly what Veronica was thinking and talking about. She didn't even know why she had shown the picture to Veronica and told her of the significance of the brown-haired girl. Perhaps she wanted someone to share the feeling of not being able to see her own flesh and blood, to only know a name and see a picture in a photo – to not hear her speak, laugh, cry, go out with her boyfriend or hang out with her girlfriends.

Veronica understood. She was good at understanding people. Sniffing once and drying her tears, she tentatively picked the photograph up and looked at Max's happy features once more. "Well…" she said with a chuckle. "At least she hasn't got Julius' face."

Rinoa giggled at that and leaned closer, looking into the picture with a smile.

The next morning started just like every other morning on the base.

The sun rose, spilling over the horizon for about half an hour before disappearing behind the clouds in the sky once more, vanishing only to be peeked at by holes in the fluffy grey clouds as they loomed ominously in the air.

The morning alarm sounded, rousing the ones who had had enough rest to be roused, and announced the days notices. Debriefing for Unit's Mike, Papa and Victor, units Alpha 2 and Delta 7 to be called into the main command room, and that the cafeteria had run out of hotdogs once more. Same shit, different day.

Zell rolled over in his bed, snuggling up to Angel. "Dammit, is it always like this?" He grumbled into her hair.

"Yes…" Angel whispered, turning to kiss his forehead. "But today is less hectic then usual – the morning call is usually sounded at 0400. I think they're going to go easy on us cause it's the big push today."

Zell nodded, not opening his eyes as he spoke, wrapping his arms around her mid-section. "Hmph, yes…going easy on us…which means getting to sleep a little longer…"

"No way, scrapper." Angel giggled, pinching his nose closed until he batted her hand away. "We've got to be up and ready for Squall and the others, remember?"

Zell sighed, sitting up in their bed and rubbing his eyes. "Dammit…alright. I guess I'll get up now – but only for you. If anyone else had asked I woulda kicked him through the roof."

"I know, hon. Now go and get changed, and we'll head down to the cafeteria."

Zell sighed as he swung his naked body out of the bed. "Why? There's no hotdogs left…as usual…" He muttered as he disappeared into the bathroom.

Angel giggled – before the door to the adjacent room opened, allowing a sleepy Dee in. "Oh, good morning Dee. Did you sleep well?" Angel asked, her voice a little nervous. She didn't quite know how to speak to the teenager yet – as a mother, as a friend, or as a mixture of the two?

She reckoned she'd figure it all out eventually.

Dee stumbled forward, rubbing her eyes and scratching her tousled blond locks, clad in her sleeping singlet and panties. Climbing onto the bed, startling Angel a little, she crawled over to her and curled up beside her, murmuring as she closed her eyes again and placed her head in her lap. "It's too early, Ma…"

Angel could almost cry with happiness as she reached down to stroke the girl's hair softly. "I know, dear…I know…"

Rinoa clapped her hands as she looked down at Squall, bouncing on their bed excitedly. "Four hundred and Ninety-eight…four hundred and ninety nine…five hundred! Wow Squall, you've never been able to do five hundred push-ups on one arm before!"

Squall pushed himself to his feet, clad only in sleeping trousers, and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I need to be in top shape." He stated in his monotone voice. "I needed to know if I was completely recuperated."

"Well, if you push yourself any harder you will burn yourself out!" Rinoa scolded, jumping to her feet and walking over to him to place a hand on his heaving chest and checking the wrist-watch on her left wrist. "…Good heart rate. Yup, you're definitely back to normal! And after only one day of rest and a Curaga– I'm proud of you, Squall!"

Squall smiled down at her.

Rinoa blushed a little, looking down at his chest. "What? What are you smiling about?"

"…You sound like…Doctor Kadowaki…" He murmured with a small grin.

"Squall!! I don't know wether or not to take that as a compliment or an insult, so I'll just do this!" Rinoa squealed, punching him in the arm before grasping his neck and pulling him down into a passionate kiss.

Her lips breezing over his, Squall wrapped his arms around her midsection, the thin satin nightie she wore brushing against his chest as he prolonged the passionate embrace…before Rinoa broke off to his dismay. "Okay hotshot – you've got to get ready for the debriefing today." Rinoa whispered, her breathing husky thanks to his touch. "You'll get what you want after – alright?"

Squall's stony pout turned into a large grin as he kissed her tenderly on the cheek before walking into the bathroom.

Rinoa hugged herself with glee, falling backwards onto the bed. She didn't care if she had to fight a hundred Sorceresses – she was content and happy and looking forward to being with Squall for a long, long time – this battle was only one last hurdle before they could resume their life where they left off.

She couldn't wait. Jumping to her feet she dashed into the bathroom, pulling off and discarding her nightie and stepping into the shower with Squall. "I changed my mind. Besides, this way we'll save time."

"Not if I have anything to do with it." Squall whispered to her.

Quistis looked up from the sheets sleepily, her long blond hair rumpled into tangles as she watched the figure sitting on the bed pull on his boots. "You're leaving already?" she whispered, rubbing sand from her eyes.

Seifer looked back at her, before looking back down at his boots, lacing the laces tight. "I didn't mean to wake you." He muttered, his cold voice surprisingly less arctic as he spoke to her.

"It's okay…" she whispered, sitting up and crawling forward to drape her arms around his neck, pressing her naked chest to his scarred back.

Seifer raised a hand to caress the arms as they held him, feeling his anger to the world melt away, her touch affecting him even more then the seducing call of battle. Turning his head he kissed her roughly, caressing her hair with one hand…before disengaging the arms and standing, moving over to the chair to grab his shirt.

Quistis sat back, not quite knowing what to say. Although Seifer was a surprisingly good lover, he did have his cold moments – and, unlike Rinoa, she was unable to tell wether he was being cold intentionally or just being…Seifer. "Will…will you be fighting today?"

"Of course."

"What unit will you be in?"

"Bravo One, with Fujin and the Earthling."

_His Earth Doppel_, she translated automatically. It was amazing how much they didn't get along, seeing as they were so alike – Quistis guessed Seifer didn't like himself that much. At least they respected each other enough to not come to loggerheads on the battlefield or in the base – indeed, she had seen them eating lunch several times, arguing as usual. At least they had been able to hold a conversation for a while – and seeing two Seifers was always funny, especially when they were angry.

Quistis giggled at the thought, and Seifer turned to her with a frown. "What is it?"

Quistis wiped the smile off her face by biting her bottom lip. "Nothing…"

Seifer looked at her as if he didn't trust her words…before grabbing his Hyperion and slipping it into his gunbelt/scabbard, pulling out a box of loaded clips and slipping them into ammunition pouches one by one.

"I'm going to be in Echo One, with Irvine…maybe we'll run into each other on the battlefield." Quistis said, trying to keep the conversation going.

"I hope not." He muttered.

That, surprisingly, hurt Quistis a little. "…Why not?"

"Because," Seifer muttered, pulling on his long white coat with the red cross symbol on the front and turning to face her. "I don't want to be distracted by your presence."

"Oh." Quistis whispered, looking down at the sheet in her hand. "…I see."

Seifer looked at her, then turned to the door, lifting his hand to the open-stud…before pausing. "…I…I also don't want you to see me when I fight. I become…something else. Something…I don't like." He muttered, almost as if it solved everything.

"I've seen you fight before, Seifer. How is any different from any other time?!" Quistis spat, almost yelling her hurt words.

"Because this is different." He growled. "This time…I just don't want you to see me fighting, alright? Is it so hard a task to accomplish?"

"Of course not…"

"Then I hope you stay out of my face." He growled, slamming his fist into the stud, the door sliding open for him and allowing him to exit, the door slipping shut behind him as his white coat-tails flailed behind him.

Quistis hugged her legs to her chest and placed her chin against her knees. She wondered just what about him would have become different since they had been going out. It was common knowledge now, although they had managed to keep it relatively quiet and out of conversation for the most part. Seifer, much like Squall, wasn't much of a boyfriend – but all you needed to know was how he ticked.

No matter how much she studied him, however, Quistis kept finding new things which poked at her brain and kept her awake at night wondering. It was discouraging when it happened, and when she thought she had finally thought she had figured him out she realised there was another layer to him.

She sighed and got out of the bed, feeling the coolness of the air on her supple, naked body. She had held on for this long. There was no point in moping about it. He would just take more time then Squall to figure out – that's all.

"Faster! Faster! Oh, that's it! More, oh gods, more!! Oh, OH, YES, THAT'S IT, YES!!" Selphie shrieked, her fingernails raking across her lover's back in ecstasy.

Irvine groaned suddenly, his muscles quivering – before Selphie pulled him to her, hugging his sweating body to hers as she felt euphoria wash over her, his body heavy on top her, his heart beating wildly through his chest into hers and racing alongside her heart.

"I think…" she whispered huskily into his ear. "…That everything down there is in perfect working order now."

Irvine grinned at her as they both laughed, holding each other in their arms, no closer any other time then they were now. Their relationship was far more understandable then most others – they loved each other, and nothing would come between that. It was simple – just the way they liked it.

Irvine began to kiss her face, her lips, her eyes, her nose, stoking the fire within her again – before she began to wriggle in his arms, shaking her head. "Nuh-uh – we gotta get ready for the debriefing, cowboy."

Irvine smirked and backed off, rolling to the side and looking up at her as she sat up in their bed. "I think Squall and the others can live without us for another hour or so, Selph." He said with a grin, running his finger down the middle of her chest between her breasts to play with her belly button, tickling her.

She giggled and slapped his arm away, pointing at the bathroom. "No way buster – we've already done it three times, too many more and we'll _both_ have trouble walking. I think you've proved that you're 'back in the saddle' as you say – so get those tight buns into the shower before I get angry."

Irvine stuck his tongue out at her and jumped out of the bed. "Tch, fine – but it doesn't mean I'm going to like it."

"Just hurry up!" She giggled, slapping his ass as he walked past her, making him jump and yelp.

Dee sat next to Zell as he lounged back in his chair, rocking back dangerously, watching her father and mother carefully, before looking over the room at the rest of the occupants.

They had been waiting in the briefing room for just under an hour now, and neither Squall or Rinoa had shown up yet.

Zell had smirked as Irvine and Selphie entered fifteen minutes late and looked about the room as if to say _what, we're not the only one's late this time?_ Seifer had looked up and then down again, retaining his brooding silence. Angel had smiled to Dee and winked at her before scolding Zell for rocking on his chair.

It was interesting watching the couples in the room. Irvine and Selphie were obviously the most outward-going couple – as soon as Irvine had taken a seat Selphie had immediately plopped herself into his lap, and was now idly playing with his ponytail whilst they waited for the Commander to arrive.

Sefier and Quistis, who sat at the furthest end of the table, were the least obvious – but Zell had said something about not asking Quistis and Seifer if they had any partners, saying that they didn't like talking about it – and now Dee saw why. Sitting together, the blond beauty with the icy warrior – she couldn't exactly see how, but she could just tell they were together, feel it almost. Perhaps it was the small looks they shot each other every now and then, or the way Quistis drank from Seifer's coffee cup – little, almost innocuous things.

Zell and Angel smiled and played with each other, Zell rocking back in his chair just enough to make Angel scold him, then making her giggle as he did something inane like slip back down to all four legs and sitting to attention like a school-boy in choir. They did little things, like hold hands, or whisper to each other about things unintelligible to Dee – indeed, it was almost like they had their own secret language.

She felt slightly left out – but only for the briefest moments. That was when Selphie would playfully throw a paper ball at her and smile at her from Irvine's hands, or get poked gently in the ribs by Zell to receive a wink and a smile and a 'enjoying yerself, hon?' remark.

It made her feel welcome – in fact, there was almost a family atmosphere about the group that made her feel more then welcome – she felt accepted.

There were other people in the room too – many people, all of them crammed into the table and looking slightly bored. The older people at the other end of the table were beginning to look impatient, and, for lack of a better word, annoyed too. One man, his skin tanned a deep brown with jet black hair cut very short, was playing with some kind of ear-piece in his ear, as if it was irritating him. Dee felt sorry for him – his big hands and thick fingers couldn't grab the ear-piece properly. She wondered if it was a hearing aid of some kind.

The man beside him, a handsome man with long black hair with a few streak of white in it seemed to be slipping off to sleep every now and then, yawning occasionally and resting his head in his hand only to have him nod off, have his chin slide out of his grasp and slam his forehead into the table. He'd wake up, blink sleepily, before the entire routine began all over again.

The man beside this one was a pleasant looking fellow who smiled at her when they saw each other over the table. He was dressed more casually then the rest of the men, who all wore battle-fatigues and the such – this man wore a cardigan and looked more like a scholar then a strategist. He also nodded off to sleep occasionally, his hands folded over his stomach – only to be awoken by the man beside him as his head slammed into the table, shocking him awake only to nod off once more.

Before Dee could analyse the rest of the people at the table, however, the door opened and a flustered looking Rinoa and Squall walked through it, Rinoa taking her seat at the head of the table, Squall flanking her as he stood to address the people around the boardroom. "Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I apologise for our absence – my health, of late, has been a concern. I needed to make sure I was fully recovered before I came here today."

"I can guess how he tested himself…" Zell whispered to Angel, which got a blush and a giggle from her.

Squall continued, seeming to not hear or ignore Zell's words. "Today is the day. Our soldiers are all prepared for the final push. The units that were fighting last night have been pulled out completely, and the Hearts, having their main supply of communication cut from both their espionage sources, have no idea of our strategy. I'm fairly certain that they will not be prepared for a full-scale attack – our main strategy has been to try and weaken them bit by bit, slowly drawing them out before attacking in waves. Now, with one massively collective strike, we predict with a 95% probability of success that they will not be able to withstand our forces, even with their numbers. Julius, take over."

A man sitting down near the middle of the long table stood, a girl with glossy skin looking up at him with silver eyes as she passed him a small folder. Opening the folder and smiling a thanks down to the girl, the man put on a pair of wire spectacles, looking down at the file before speaking up. "We have taken a census over the last week to tally the numbers of our troops – the base we currently occupy, Base Alpha, have around 1300000 troops at our disposal. Bases Bravo, Charlie and Delta all each have around 1200000. All our bases are fully equipped with SeeD and Earth armaments, with fresh tanks, helicopters and APCs all being sent in through the SeeD Arches and directed to their positions. About a million scouts all across the WarWorld have all reported back the same thing – that, for the past three days, the Hearts have been drawing back to their bases more and more. If we attack hard and fast, pouring everything at them as hard a humanly possible, we will be able to easily swamp them."

"Any real strategy?" Seifer muttered.

Julius nodded and smiled politely to the blond gunblader. "Of course…" Looking down to Veronica, who was waiting with the remote, he took it off her as she handed it up to him and aimed it at the centre of the table. The table opened up, revealing a hologram deck which sprang into life, revealing a round red globe, the surface pock-marked and scratched with ugly scars-like craters and canyons – WarWorld. "These are our bases…" Julius said, pressing a button, the world beginning to revolve as four dots blinked brightly on the display – A through to D. The letters were scattered across the four corners of the globe. "…And these are the Heart bases."

Pressing the button revealed a number of little hearts, much like the ones on Valentine cards. These were also lettered A through to D and also on each of the four corners of the globe. The SeeD letters were about an inch away from the Heart letters respectively, showing that their bases were not all that far from the Heart bases. "All information gathers that this base," Julius said, lighting up the Heart Alpha Base with the press of a button, "Is where the Sorceress Queen is, as well as the bulk of their troops. The remaining Heart bases, we'll most likely find, will be deserted or have very little men remaining in them when we do the push – once the Hearts have found out our plans they will immediately try to protect their queen. So we are focusing our attack strength on Heart Alpha."

"The main force will travel straight up, through the Canyon of Meteors to the Desert of Bone and Blood, about a hundred and fifty to two hundred miles away from this base, on hovercraft or APC units. If they don't meet any resistance on this ground they will then travel another two hundred miles until they reach Heart Alpha. All in all the trip will take about half a day." Julius pressed another button, the globe growing until the area around Heart Alpha was made visible. "Much like SeeD Alpha, Heart Alpha is surrounded by cliffs and canyons – but, unlike the fifty or so kilometres of open ground around our base, theirs has about fifty _miles_ of open ground all around them – plenty of space to fill with attacking units and vehicles."

"The plan goes as follows - as the main forces begin their charge, their diversion will create an opening for a team of SeeDs to fly a Ragnarok directly into the Heart Base, smash through the front door, and blast their way to the Queen, in which they will then assassinate her."

"Do you have any ideas on the layout of the base for the inside?" Someone said.

"Seeing as the architectural structures on the outside are relatively the same as on our own bases, we're positive that all the bases were designed and created by one , unknown race – therefore, the structural layout _ought_ to be similar."

"Ought to be? You don't sound so convinced, Mr. Garner."

"Given the information from Rin…I mean, Miss Heartilly, as well as my own personal viewing, the Queen is very vain – and has a thing for the colour purple. Thus, they are sure all of her private quarters will be adequately furnished with décor that will scream for attention – kind of like announcing their presence that 'this room is for VIP's only'. Finding the Queen should not prove difficult."

"And the team? Who will it consist of?" Laguna asked, looking bored.

Julius cleared his throat. "The Sorceress Heroes, as well as a few extra SeeDs to provide support."

General Raijin looked up from his snooze. "No Earthlings or Te'Get soliders?"

"No offence, General, but if Earth forces and Te'Get soldiers enter the compound they will not last long under the extreme fighting conditions. Neither race has the adequate training to defend against magical attacks – of which, we predict, there will be plenty, seeing as we're trying to kill a Sorceress. The Gaian race has been using magic for centuries – and the people we're sending in are more then adequate at defending against high-powered magic's."

General Raijin nodded sullenly, sitting back in his chair. "Fine then…"

Julius nodded, looking back down to the file before looking up at the globe again. "Once the Queen has been defeated, the plan is to set charges within the base and destroy it – but not before searching it for sufficient information on the Tidus' and the Orihalcon. There is still a mass of info on these two items that we simply don't know – and that the Queen obviously does know. After all, she was the first to use Universal Compression, and almost all her crack soldiers are clad in the nigh-to-indestructible armour – she would at least know the origins of both."

The military men around the table nodded simultaneously, murmuring to one another. The Arches and Orihalcon was a huge mystery – a mystery that would be nice to know, especially on a warring standard.

Squall stood then, looking over to Julius. "Is that all?"

Julius nodded and sat down, closing the file and handing it back to Veronica before removing his spectacles and rubbing his eyes, as if tired. It was obvious he had been up all night studying for this and getting his speech right.

"Very well…ladies and gentlemen, the time is currently 0820. Our troops are ready to mobilise at a moment's notice. Lets get this done already." Squall said finally, thumping the table with his gloved fist, his stony voice lilted with determination.

The Ragnarok, as usual, whirred into life, the afterburners roaring as the engines began to warm up, the red wings folding out like some kind of giant robotic Red Dragon, the wingspan gigantic compared to the Black Hawk's rotors beside it. Within the cockpit sat Selphie in the pilot seat and two Estharians in the seats on either side of her, doing the pre-flight checks. For once Selphie was in business mode, flicking switched and calling commands, in control of her vessel. She had done more hours then anyone within the giant red dragon, and still didn't have her licences from Esthar – of course, when she wanted to go for a joyride, nobody stopped her. But Laguna still preferred for two of his professional Estharian skymen to go with her, just in case she did a ramming stunt like on Lunatic Pandora.

Within the loading bay sat Squall, Rinoa, Irvine and Zell, each one strapped to the sides of the bay in uncomfortable seats. The living quarters had been closed down, as well as the sleeping quarters – although Zell was sure he could pound his way in, the whole point of the exercise was to fly in, jump off, and let it fly away. There was no time to waste having a coffee or snoozing.

Not that anybody was going to be doing that in a hurry. Each of the faces Zell looked over was rigid with seriousness, each person silent, within their own thoughts. As soon as the battle began they were going – their forces were being used as a distraction for their infiltration.

Failure wasn't an option.

Zell sighed heavily. He had said his goodbyes to Dee and Angel a few hours ago, when he had had to get off the APC they had been travelling on and get into the Ragnarok to be kitted up. Surprisingly they had been rather jovial about the goodbyes – as he hugged her, Angel had hugged him back with a warm smile and said "See you soon.", which had enticed a giggle from Dee. Zell had figured they were up to something, but what that was he wasn't so sure of…

"We're not late, are we?" Angel asked, plonking down in the seat next to a few befuddled Zell, strapping herself in and stretching over to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Hiya sweety."

Zell gasped for a second before blinking hard – then found his tongue. "Angel…what are you doing here?!"

"I asked Squall if I could tag along. I'm a SeeD after all, and you will need some help in fighting the Sorceress…and I'm a rather good fighter, as you well know…" Angel looked up at Zell meekly. "You're not mad, are you?"

Zell sighed. "No sweety, I'm not mad." _Just a little worried…can she stand up against something even I'm not sure I can stand up to?_

Angel nodded and smiled, waving over to Rinoa – and the other addition to the team.

Dee waved back and blew Zell a kiss.

Zell choked again – before Angel squeezed his shoulder. "She didn't want to wait at the base and I didn't want her fighting on the battlefield alone – at least, acting as a bodyguard for Squall and Rinoa, we'll be able to keep an eye on her, neh?"

Zell let his body go limp, feeling very defeated. It was okay for him to go into the belly of the beast – but now his family was going with him too? Knowing the hand Fate had just dealt him, Ma would walk in clad in camo fatigues and draped with ammunition too, screaming 'You're hoggin all the fun, Zell, let your Ma show you how it's done!!'

Angel simply giggled at Zell's expression and hugged his arm as the final preps were done and the Ragnarok's massive metal belly began to rumble.

The APC's full of men lining the barren ground surrounding Heart Alpha finally drew up to their originated drop-off points, about ten miles away from the base. Tanks jeeps and hovercrafts also pulled up along the APCs, opening their doors and hatches to allow the gunners entrance. The ground was covered in people scurrying to set up a temporary base of operations, as well as get set up for the attack.

Bravo One stood out before the rest on a small ridge, looking down at the open fields before them. The Heart base was just visible on the horizon, bleak and grey in the red background of rocks and clouds. Fujin stood beside Seifer and looked over the sight with something that might have resembled awe if she had emotions. She was as barren of feelings as Squall had been, if not more, her white hair ruffling in the wind as she looked up to Seifer with her one good eye, the other hidden behind a dark black patch.

"Scared?" She asked gruffly.

Major Almasy blinked, looking down at the girl. He hadn't had the time to be properly introduced to her, Seifer grunting a quick introduction for them before the rattle and roar of the APC on the stony ground made any conversation pointless. She seemed alright – but as cold as ice. "Yeah, a little." He gave up with a small smile. No point in hiding it, and there was no harm in admitting it. Fear was what made them human, after all. "You?"

"Never." She stated, turning back to the battleground, crossing her arms and looking away from him.

"That's kinda pointless, isn't it?" He asked, garnering a cocked eyebrow from her one good eye. "I mean, without fear, how do you motivate yourself on the battlefield?"

Fujin narrowed her eye and looked away again. "No motivation. Just kill."

Almasy sighed, looking away from her. _She doesn't need to be motivated – she just takes out as many as they tell her to. The perfect solider._ Trained from childhood to be a solider would create something like that, he mused. He'd heard of child soldiers being used in civil wars in third-world countries during the eighties – and there were even children being used in the Gulf and Iraq to shoot back at the Americans sent in to help. _Using children for soldiers…it's such a flawless way to make a perfect soldier…that's why it shouldn't be done. Children need to choose wether they want to be a solider or not, not have it forced onto them. How's a five-year-old supposed to know wether he wants to be a soldier or not? Barely old enough to shit properly and he's being taught to kill…it's sickening._

He looked back at the Gaian forces, the masses of soldiers as they all began to line up at the front line. A collage of faces greeted him – men, women, kids barely old enough to shave, and even a few who weren't even old enough for that. "They're all here for a purpose…so we'd better make sure that they get their job done right, right?" He whispered to himself out loud, looking back to the front and to the base.

Fujin looked up at him, her one good grey eye latched onto his face. Covered in reddish-brown camo-fatigues/body armour and with a M16A1 in his hands and a P90 strapped to his back, he looked absolutely nothing like the Seifer she knew. He looked…less threatening somehow.

Then he narrowed his eyes, pulling back on the bolt of the rifle in his hands, chambering a round – before reaching into a pocket to pull out a pair of sunglasses, putting them on his face, shielding his blue eyes from the rest of the world. "Well…better get this thing started, huh?" He asked her, turning and walking off the ridge to move to where Seifer was preparing his troops.

Fujin paused only once before she followed.

The masses of men were finally in position, and the order to advance was sent out. Units of troops marched forward, guns and weapons clenched tightly in their hands, their eyes hard, their minds set. Earth Abrams and SeeD Tanks also moved forward, rolling before the troops on their caterpillar-like tracks and hover-pads. Although the Abrams had the upper-hand in destructive power – a direct hit by a shell was enough to dent Orihalcon – the SeeD hover-tanks were more manoeuvrable, able to move over twice the speed of the Earth vehicles. They were equipped with paramilitary guns on the rooves, with several other portholes for gunners to shoot out of.

The majority of the main line of troops were Te'Get and Gaian, the Earthlings keeping to their tanks and the back where they could shoot over their backs and into the ranks of the enemy. The battle would be a long, savage and arduous one – most, if not all of the soldiers in the Universal army were armed with swords and clubs – melee weapons. The fighting would be completely old-school.

The two Seifers walked with their troops on the front line with the rest of their men, as did the rest of the squad leaders. Only the commanding officers were to remain behind at the base to give out orders – and, although Seifer was considered a commanding officer, he had ignored the order to stay and had put himself down for the front line. There was no way in hell he would let the troops have all the glory – he wanted to be in the thick of it, to feel his soul soar with the bodies of his fallen foes – that was when he felt alive.

Of course, there was another reason he was here too…

It was not long before the Army began to near the base, the order for manning weapons and turret going out across the lines like wildfire. Everyone was ready, everything was manned and primed. Tension was palatable in the air, the heat of the sun hot on everyone's bodies and making their blood boil. Adrenaline had kicked in a while ago, and everyone was rearing to go, some men stripping out of their shirts to allow themselves more manoeuvrability, some others pre-casting Protects and Shells just in case.

The line halted exactly five kilometres from the base with the vehicles rumbling forward to halt before the troops. All five hundred Abrams raised their turrents, the long barrels pointed directly to the base, the gunner within the metallic bellies of the beasts with their fingers on the triggers.

Seifer walked forward before the tanks, directly in the middle of them, and raised a pair of field binoculars to his eyes.

In the distance he saw the base, serene in the red landscape, not a soul to be seen. Exactly designed like the SeeD base, the only exception was that there were purple banners flapping gently in the wind outside the main entrance.

He narrowed his eyes, before raising his wrist-mic to his lips. "Show them that we're here."

As soon as the order was given the air seemed to empty of all sound, the silence growing to colossal heights – before the roaring emptiness was destroyed, shattered completely by the sudden explosions of the Arbam's main guns, their main bodies rocking as the guns blasted their shells high into the air and arching off into the distance.

On Earth the Abrams' main gun, the tank turrent, was able to fire their projectile shells a good 3000 meters – but with Estharian technology in the firing mechanism and within the exploding power of the shells, the range had been doubled to just over 6000 meters, allowing the heavy shells to fly true to their intended target with little concern for missing.

Seifer watched through the binoculars, waiting for the shells to hit.

The shells flew through the air, hurtling to the base at breakneck speed – before exploding around the base, the explosions so loud and powerful they echoed out through the sky and to the army. From where they were the army could see the base be enveloped in smoke – and let out a massive cheer, the roar of millions of people enveloping the echoes of the explosions easily.

Even Seifer had a small smirk on his face as he continued to look through the binoculars. "Not bad…" He whispered…before suddenly grimacing. "Dammit."

The smoke around the base cleared – to reveal a blueish-green barrier surrounding the entire massive impound. Somehow someone had put up a massive Protect over the entire facility, rendering bombing useless.

As he watched through the field glasses the main doors of the entrance open – and men began to pour out, their weapons held ready as they raced forward to meet their foes. They moved like lightening, racing to their deaths – and they just kept on coming, their bodies soon covering the entire red field before them

Seifer threw the binoculars away and turned, ripping his Hyperion from it's sheath and running towards one of the nearest Abrams, jumping up onto the deck and to the hatch. "Gimme that loud-speaker microphone." He muttered, the Earthling handing him the mic without a question.

Standing up and facing the crowd Seifer spoke into the microphone, his voice ringing out over the crowd from the tank's loud-speakers. Within the tank a man flipped a switch, opening the frequency to broadcast over the entire Universal network – Seifer was talking to the entire army. "Listen up! These bastards want to steal your souls and bring about an age of war and destruction! I don't know about you, but I'm not about to let myself bow down to them – so we're going not going to give them our lives, we're going to give them _fucking hell!!_"

The roar of the crowd drowned out his words as the army as one all screamed their determination, their courage, their pride. "Advance!!" He shouted.

The distance between the two armies was covered in less then a few minutes.

Hell began shortly after.

Bullet sizzled through the air, the sounds of cries and screams ripping through the air as easily as any projectile, men and women both roaring in determination as they all threw themselves at the enemy, fighting and shooting, blasting and blowing up, killing and maiming. Blood flowed easily, the ground soon drenched in it, making it hard to run in the sloppy mud – not that they needed to run a lot. The bodies of the fallen were easy to run on, now that everyone were accustomed to it – they'd been doing so for a month now. Magic also blew through the air, lightening flashing, ice smoking, fire flaming, air blowing.

A team of Thunder experts teamed with a unit of Air users all moved before the Air unit and prepared themselves – before being blown directly into the air, flying and scattering over the ranks of the Hearts and landing right within them – before each and every one of the Thunder soldiers let off a massive Thundaga simultaneously, roasting hundred of soldiers instantly. A group of men and woman, protected by scores of soldiers with swords and guns, traced signals into the air – before the air around the Hearts was filled with flaming rocks, the Meteors slamming directly into the collective foes, crushing some with resounding booms and taking out others with their explosions, bodies and limbs flying in all directions as the explosions rocked the ground…

…But then the ground didn't stop shaking as the Quake users began to cast their magic's, the areas around masses of Hearts ripping open with massive tearing noises, boiling red magma searing up from the very core of the earth as the WarWorld swallowed the units up and closed over them, hands and arms protruding out of the cracks in the ground, bloody reminders that the ground was not a safe place to be all the time.

Seifer was directly in the thick of it, surrounded by bad guys and loving it. His Hyperion sang through the air, dicing and slicing heads, limbs, torsos, anything that came in contact with him was instantly pierced and disembowelled before being shoved aside and discarded for the next enemy. It was not long before his white coat, flailing around his legs and body as he danced through the masses of enemies, was drenched in rich red blood, his fake caked with it, his hair matted with the liquid. His body carried scores of minor wounds, but he didn't care, he didn't even feel it – all he cared was how many he killed.

Major Almasy stood a little way away from Seifer, making sure his Doppel didn't get killed outright. His M16A1 burst into life, perforating one man and swinging across to blow another's brains out. He didn't even really need to aim – he simply jammed his finger down on the trigger and sprayed bullets in all directions. There were so many Hearts that he killed numerous ones with just that one tactic then with any presicion shooting. Popping a spent clip and reaching around to grab another one from his belt, he looked up to see that the Hearts were beginning to surge forward, a break in the line already.

Bringing his hand up he gripped the small tube at the bottom of the gun barrel – and squeezed the trigger beneath it, the little M60 grenade launcher attached to the undercarriage of the gun shooting the shell out with a 'phunk' – and destroying the Hearts who pushed forward, enveloping them in flames and throwing them with the explosion. Smirking with satisfaction Almasy pushed the tube forward, allowing the empty smoking shell out of the tube and sliding another one in, pulling the tube back, the grenade primed – and fired another one, this one exploding within the ranks of the Hearts, making them think twice about going for the break in the line.

The break was reformed in that instant and the Universals surged forward – before watching as the crowds of Universals parted to allow one man to walk forward.

His yellow coat flapping in the wind, the sounds of battle waging all around him, he tugged his cowboy hat down over his blue eyes with a grin – before hefting the massive gun he held in his hands, the multi-barrelled weapon pointed directly at the mass of Hearts. "Who wants some?!" He yelled – before jamming his finger down on the trigger of the mechanism in his hands.

The barrels began to spin with a mechanic whine, slowly at first but then faster – before a three-foot long tongue of flame flared out of the barrels, spewing lead faster then a hose poured water. Waves after waves of men fell before him as he waved the multi-barrelled gun across the ranks, bodies disappearing in puffs of blood as the bullets screamed forward to perforate them completely, shattering the Heart grunts' cheap armour and denting anything substantial to a useless degree. Irvine had seen the Mini-Gun being hauled around by the beefier members of the Earth Special Forces and had begged to have one. Delight wasn't the word for the feeling he had gotten when they had handed one to him – orgasmic elation was more like it. This was the supreme example of a projectile weapon Irvine could think of at the moment – of course, he wasn't thinking of that right now. He was concentrating on how many died before he had to reload – which would be soon.

Quistis stood beside him, her whip cracking and slashing through the air as easily as any sword, taking out any who came close to her and Irvine. Twirling Save The Queen, the golden whip crackling with Junctioned Thunder elemental power, Quistis slashed another man off his feet – before a mass of men began to push forward, picking up their fallen comrades and using them as shields against the aggressive cutting power of her whip, the barbed end slashing into the body of one man and tearing him open once more – but he was already dead.

"Irvine!!" She screamed to Irvine – but he couldn't hear her over the screaming roar of the Mini-Gun, his teeth gritted as he put all his weight into turning the weapon left and right, trying to make sure the Hearts all got what they deserved.

Swearing and turning back to the men, Quistis narrowed her light blue eyes behind her spectacles – then pulled them off her face, holding them in her left hand whilst her right pulled Save The Queen back, the length of tensile-strong rope looping professionally around her body as she span, curling the length up around her easily…before she looked up at the men who pushed forward, her light blue eyes glowing a bright blue, the whites disappearing completely.

She opened her mouth and screamed, thrusting her hands forward.

Instantly the men tried to stop and pull back – but it was no use. An invisible force ripped and tore the tough rocky ground apart as it blasted straight to them – and literally ripped them to shreds, the Shockwave Pulsar screeching along with her as she pushed all her magical might into the Blue and created a massive opening in the Heart's ranks. Body parts filled the air from when they were blown up into the sky – but nobody took heed as the Universals raced forward to take advantage of the opening.

The Hearts met the Universals equally, each army beating and blasting the hell out f each other. The ground trembled and rumbled with the power, the skies boiled with Meteors and thunder, the smell of blood and sweat and dirt thick in the air. The tanks that had opened the fighting up were now in the middle of the destruction – although the Hearts had the numbers, they were under skilled, and thusly didn't have much in the field of magical attacks or defences. The M1's all had their turrets turned to the ground and blasting great gouts of dirt and bodies in the air, the explosions rocking the ground as easily as a Firaga. The hatches up the top had men on the anti-personal guns, the guns blasting many men from coming close to the tanks. The SeeD tanks, also, flew about the battlefield, dispensing ammunition at the Hearts in great quantities and with no stop in sight. Both units of tanks also began to push forward, crushing many of the Hearts in the process and pulping their bodies under their tracks or electrocuting them under the hoverpads.

A gunner on a M1 suddenly having his head blown off, a Heart clambering onto the top of the tank and threw down several grenades – before the tank rocked and exploded, blasting many Universals off the face of WarWorld as the rounds stored within it also blew, creating a massive smoking crater in the middle of the battlefield – which was soon filled with fighting bodies.

Seifer had just decapitated three people in a row and blasted several more with his Hyperion when a crackling message entered his earpiece from the base. _"Commander Almasy, commence Operation Cover Flood!!"_

_So soon? We've only been fighting for a few hours._ Seifer thought to himself – before stepping back and holding his hands out, summoning every scrap of paramagical energy he could – before disappearing in a puff of logic.

The Hearts around him, confused as they were, knew the roar of a monster when they saw one, and watched as, from over the horizon, a massive blue reptilian monster swam through the air like an eel to stop over where Seifer had just been. Leviathan, the Water Dragon, looked down over the Heart army, the masses of men writhing beneath it's scaled body – before it opened it's many-toothed maw and let loose an ear-rattling roar, the sound travelling miles and causing the heaviest armour to tremble.

Leviathan swam high up into the air, spiralling up and glowing a bright blue – before a sudden torrent of water appeared from nowhere, washing straight over the Heart Army and engulfing them completely, the Tsunami killing scores of them and washing the bodies of the fallen away from the ground. The Universals retreated for the moment, pulling back away from the wall of water that was falling. Amazingly the water just seemed to fall from the sky and wash over the Hearts – there wasn't any going back towards the Universals.

Irvine staggered back, looking up at the wall of water as it rushed like some massive floating waterfall, and ripped open the ammo-bay for the Mini-Gun, pulling out another large box of shells from where the last ammo-bunny had dropped it and laying the chain of bullets into the bay before slapping it shut and pulling the slide back, locking the ammunition into place and readying it to be fed into the barrels when he next turned the barrels. The Mini-Gun smoked like a business-man with a cigar, the metal creaking from the abuse it had just been through having to fire thousands of rounds for extended periods of time. Irvine walked forward to the massive wall of water and stood close to it, allowing the spray to slosh onto the red-hot barrels, making them hiss and steam, cooling them off and protecting them from warping.

Sighing and hefting the massive gun again as the water began to finally slow down some, he looked up as he heard a roar – and watched as a massive red dragon, fire blazing out from beneath it's flared wings, flew straight past the blue Leviathan. Irvine smiled as the masses behind him let out another loud cheer as the Ragnarok soared high above them, circling around the water dragon and letting the Universals see it one last time before activating it's afterburners and screeching towards the Heart Base. "Good luck, dudes…" The Sorceress Slayer whispered to the Ragnarok as the waves finally dissipated – to reveal some very angry and very wet Heart soldiers. The power of the attack had managed to take out about half of the numbers in the middle of the main force – but quite a few had survived somehow. The front line had been pushed back towards the Heart Base a little more, and Irvine grit his teeth before jamming his finger down on the trigger once more and began to walk forward slowly, spraying lead in all directions.

The Ragnarok flew straight over the Leviathan and over the Heart Base, circling around it – to meet even more soldiers behind the base, as if in hiding! The numbers were marginally less then the forces out the front of the base – but more men were coming out of the back of the base, and it looked like they were setting up their positions right where they were.

Selphie instantly hit the communications button for the loading bay, the flight-sticks in her hands jumping slightly as the Hearts beneath her began to fire up at the Ragnarok, magic and bullets slamming into the massive dragon's underbelly and pinging away off the hard Estharian shell. "Squall, there's a few more men here then Julius said there would be!!"

"The Hearts might have a few more Arches then we do. It's safe to assume that as soon as the other bases heard of the main attack they were called back to guard the Base in-case we tried something sneaky."

"Permission to take out as many as I can?"

"_Granted_."

Selphie sneered evilly and twisted the controls to the left, the Ragnarok dipping low and twisting around to sweep over the gathered reinforcements. Looking down at the men from the eyes of the Ragnarok's head/cockpit, Selphie flicked a tab on her left control-stick up to reveal a button – and jammed her finger on it. Hard.

The crimson underbelly of the Ragnarok's 'arms' flipped open – revealing twin mini-guns, the barrels pointing down and firing bright red tracer rounds, the bullets slashing and sizzling through the air to kick up dust and dirt within the crowds in a long trail, men disappearing in the red dirt, their bodies reduced to nothingness by the sheer power of the rounds being spat out by the massive dragon.

The reinforcements did what was logical – they scattered, trying not to stay in as big a group as they had been when the Ragnarok had flown over before, and Selphie twisted the sticks again, the massive dragon almost spinning in the air, it's afterburners firing wildly as she alternated between speed and hover mode. Selphie's strafe of the base included trying to kill any who retreated back to the base – the majority of the men ran away to the desert or around the base towards the front – but a small number tried to get back into the base through the back doors where they had been coming from. Flying over the area she jammed her finger down on the trigger again – and grimaced as the base suddenly flared a bluish-green, the massive Protect shielding what few men had gotten back to the doors. _Better take care of that before I let them off…_Selphie thought to herself, watching the Protect drop back down to invisible mode – before looking around.

Watching a bunch of men racing for what looked like an anti-aircraft gun, Selphie flew low over the crowds, the wind resistance blowing most off their feet and into the air completely whilst the afterburners roasted the ones who had held on. Watching one man jump into the firing seat and another disappear around the back – probably to release the safeties – Selphie pulled back on the controls harshly, the Ragnarok's boosters suddenly blasting with a massive roar, scorching the ground and turning the red sand into glass almost immediately – as well as making the AA gunner suddenly burst into flames, shrieking in agony and terror as he fell from the blackened metal turret and ran for his life.

Flying high up into the air, corkscrewing around as she did, Selphie flicked another button – and was slammed into her seat as the boosters slammed into full power, causing the Ragnarok to scream through the red clouds and up high into the sky, slashing through the air with unbelievable speed. Ejecting from the top of the clouds for a split second and killing the boosters, Selphie smiled at the sight – an ocean of fluffy cloud, still as stone with the occasional red mountain peeking out from the edges – before gravity took hold once more, grabbing the Ragnarok by the nose and sending it hurtling to the ground.

Blowing through the clouds once more and seeing the red dirt – and the base – coming towards her fast and with no sign of slowing down, Selphie flicked another tab up on the opposite control stick, her finger resting lightly on the button as the screen before her suddenly flickered into life, targeting modules and information scrawling across her view of the base.

Beneath the Ragnarok, the last of the trailing wisps of cloud leaving the shining red metal body, the long barrelled Plasma Cannon lowered itself from it's resting position between the 'arms' which held the mini-guns. The long red length, easily half the length of the Ragnarok's body, lowered itself slowly before latching into position with a 'ka-chunk' – and split down the middle suddenly, great lacing spider webs of static slashing out around the two prongs, the main gun armed and ready.

"Firing Plasma charge!" Selphie cried into her microphone, the Ragnarok's targeting systems suddenly crying out with a shrill tone as everything lined up perfectly onto the base, the building growing larger and larger with every passing millisecond… "Brace!!"

Then the entire ship shook, the lights and systems flickering and dimming as the Plasma Cannon suddenly went off with a gigantic explosion, the giant red dragon bucking dangerously as the super-heated particle charge screamed forth – to slam directly into the Protect surrounding the base, the Protect flashing a bright blue as the charge _forced the shield inward with it's power – _then broke through, causing the Protect to pop like a soap bubble – and allow the Plasma charge to slam into the side of the base, making the east side blow with a fantastic blue eruption.

Grabbing the controls and pulling back with all her tiny might, Selphie wrestled the Ragnarok under control and caused it to dip up, exiting it's kamakazi dive and spinning to the left, banking just to the side to allow the belly of the metallic beast to scrape against the roof of the compound's main building, giving the Ragnarok's paint job a great sparking scratch and wiping out a corner of the base's roof.

Selphie whimpered as she banked the red dragon away and turned it around for another pass. "Sir Laguna's going to kill me…" Reaching over to the comms button she slammed her fist into it again. "Squall, the reinforcements have scattered and it'll take them a while to regroup. Want me to drop you off now?"

"Yes. Do it now."

"Roger!"

Within the base Azel looked down at his Queen as she picked herself up from where she had been sitting. Something had hit the base violently, so violently it had shaken the compound to the very core.

Shaking her head, not believing that something had broken through her Protect, she looked up to a man as he ran in. "My Queen, a Ragnarok has broken through the Protect and scattered the reinforcements from Beta and Cappa base!!"

The Queen pulled herself back into her chair and sat down elegantly, reaching forward to the table before her to pick up the stone bucket with the arcane symbols all over it. "Deploy the fleet." She ordered simply and coldly, her eyes blank as she looked down at the Well Of Souls, staring at it as if it were her salvation.

The man saluted sharply and left the room as quickly as he'd entered.

Azel looked down at Queen Rinoa with a smirk. "I thought you said the fleet was a last resort."

"I don't care anymore!" She spat sharply. "No more games, no more waiting – I want them dead now!!"

Azel narrowed his eyes and smiled a cold smile. "You were thinking I'd invite them in for coffee and cake?"

The Queen didn't say anything – she simply cradled the Well to her, rocking slightly in her chair, her knees drawn up to her chest as she hugged the stone bucket to her tightly, an insane glint in her eye...

Zell dropped down to the tarmac, looking out to where the reinforcements had scattered. "C'mon, they'll be coming back soon!!" He screamed, Squall landing beside him and catching Rinoa as she jumped down before the two of them ran for the massive hanger doors to the building closest to them.

Dee jumped down, landing easily – before Angel followed, landing beside her daughter and, taking her hand, led her towards the area which the Heart reinforcements had been streaming from, closely following Squall and the others. As they neared the massive back-door of the main base, huge and wide like air-machine hanger doors, the ground shook viciously as if someone had cast Quake all around them, knocking the SeeDs right off their feet in surprise.

The Ragnarok slashed over their position with a loud roar, blowing wind and dust everywhere, ruffling clothing and hair as Selphie passed by. _"Squall? Zell? What's going on down there?! This is no time to be sitting down on the job!"_

Squall grimaced up at the red dragon as it flew around near where the Heart reinforcements had scattered, able to see it's arms flashing from the two turrent guns mounted on there as Selphie thinned out the numbers a little more. "Selphie, keep yourself focused! We'll be needing an immediate extraction when we kill the Queen and plant the charges, so don't stray too far!" He shouted into his wrist-mic – before the ground shook again, more violently this time, accompanied by a different sound this time – the roars of engines. Turbine engines.

"What the fuck are those?!" Zell yelled over the ear-splitting noise, pointing at a small hanger to the left, watching as the hanger doors opened – to let a blue shape slash out from behind the doors, the shape moving at unbelievable speed as it threw itself into the sky – and activated it's afterburners, the shape blasting forth and towards the Ragnarok.

"There too!!" Dee shouted, pointed right as another hanger opened – and spewed out a yellow shape, the unbelievable blur unmistakably dragon-esque in shape as it spiralled into the air – to blast off towards Selphie's direction once more.

"Damn you Carpenter…" Squall shouted as the hanger doors before them opened, revealing a green Ragnarok, it's reptilian shell glinting in the WarWorld sky as it suddenly shot off from it's hover position within the hanger, blasting the SeeDs off their feet once more with the powerful backwash of the after-burners. "…You gave the Queen Ragnarok's too?!"

Selphie flew over the men once more, her mini-guns blazing as the shells ripped through the air to destroy the infantry in their tracks – before Squall's voice suddenly rang clear in her headset. _"Selphie, you have three Ragnaroks heading towards you controlled by the Hearts from eight-o'clock!!"_

His shouted words hadn't entered her ears for less then a second before the Ragnarok shuddered violently, warning signs and flashing beacons suddenly filling Selphie's screen as something large and hard smashed into the Ragnarok's left after-burner, causing the launching device to creak dangerously inside towards the loading bay doors.

Thankful she hadn't been doing a sweep at the time and had only been on hover, Selphie watched as a yellow Ragnarok circled around from behind her – and began to approach fast, it's little forearms springing open – to reveal twin mini-guns!!

Pulling back hard on her control-sticks, the Red Ragnarok banked upwards sharply, the boosters on the bottom spewing burning fire as the tracer rounds _barely missed the cockpit_, scraping the bottom of the ship's hull and causing more beacons and warning sirens to wail.

Selphie, having only been using the control sticks so far, was suddenly a mass of moving limbs, her feet pumping pedals and her hands breezing over touch-displays, shouting orders to the Estharian technicians on either side of her as she tried to take evasive manoeuvres. "I want a status report pronto! Shut down the boosters until the auto-repair has patched the damage, gimme full power to the mini-thrusters and the angle-burners, and keep the hovers going at all times! Missiles and turrent are to be reloaded immediately – and I want a report as soon as the Plasma Cannon is ready to fire again!"

"Yes ma'am!!" The Estharians shouted in unison, suddenly working twice as fast as they had been before.

Her left hand wrestling with the controls and her feet still pumping and pressing pedals and switched beneath the control board, Selphie slammed her little fist into the comm's switch. "Squall, continue with the mission!! I'll hold em off and give you your ride back!"

"Squall, c'mon!" Rinoa cried, tugging on his sleeve.

His face was twisted in anger as he turned and ran for the base. The first time they had met Carpenter he had been flying in Ragnarok's not unlike the ones that was attacking Selphie right now. Either those had been Heart Ragnarok's the entire time…or Carpenter had dealt out schematics for the Ragnarok's to the enemy way before they had even heard of them. Laguna hadn't even considered sharing the Ragnarok technology with other counties yet – the betrayal boiled in Squall's belly, gnawing at his insides, feeding his determination.

And besides…even though he wanted to protect his friend and teammate…there was nothing any of them could do for Selphie now. All they could hope for was that her insane flying abilities would help her when she needed it.

"Move!" He shouted, whipping out his LionHeart and activating the blade, the energy shimmering blue in the red light as they all advanced into the hanger, infiltrating the base.

Selphie was fighting with the controls as the Rangrok pulled up, banked sharply to the left – and flew away as fast as it could, flying directly over the base and off towards the fight being held before the base. Dipping the left wing as she did, she could almost feel the tracer round whistling past her face as they slashed straight through the little crook between the left main wing/booster and the little left arm at the front, biting up the ground as she flew dangerously low to the rocky red dirt, the tip of the back booster skimming the ground and kicking up a long black trail as spark spat and flew from the contact.

The ship shuddered as she scraped the ground, Selphie's body shaking with the ship as she tried desperately to hold the controls steady – before a warning klaxon sounded and she wrenched the controlled to the right sharply, her Ragnarok pulling it's wing from the ground and turning on it's axis to the right – to allow a missile passage to blow a great chunk of dirt from the ground, the massive smoking crater disappearing behind them as their speed increased a little further as Selphie pulled up from the ground to fly up into the sky, spiralling up as she did to avoid more machine-gun fire, the tracer rounds sizzling around her red dragon as she zipped off the ground and into empty air.

Grimacing, Selphie turned her head to the right – to see another Ragnarok, this one a bright green, pulling up beside her – and suddenly try to ram into it, banking in sharply and firing it's right-hand thrusters at the same time!!

Pulling up on the controls in reflex, Selphie's ship suddenly pulled straight up, doing a loop-dee-loop, which allowed the green Ragnarok to simply strafe across _directly underneath them_ and fly off into the red distance, having now to circle around to approach once more.

Now flying upside-down and straight, Selphie's brown curls dangling around her face, she breathed a sigh of relief – before looking back at one of the Estharians. "What's the status on the ship?!"

"Main left booster is down, ma'am! It will be operational in exactly T-Minus ten minutes, if the auto-repair isn't interrupted!" The man on her left shouted.

"And our enemy?"

"The scanners aren't picking up any life-forms on the ship, human or otherwise, ma'am!" The Estharian on her right shouted. "I'd say they're being controlled by AI systems – it would explain the suicidal tendencies so far!"

Selphie smirked, turning her head back to look out the dragon's eyes, her hands tightened around the controls into a white-knuckled grip. "Robots, huh? Well, lets see how good they are against _flesh and blood!!_"

Suddenly bringing the Ragnarok around so it was level again, Selphie turned the controls to the right – and barely avoiding more machine-gun fire as it ripped up the atmosphere beneath her, her red Ragnarok banking sharply to the right and spinning around to face off with her attackers, the hover-pads beneath her flaring wildly as she stopped it on a dime. The yellow and green dragons screamed towards her with reckless abandon, not seeming to heed her sudden and evidently insane pause in mid-air. Selphie turned her head slightly, not taking her eyes off the two ships before her and she addressed her two co-pilots. "On my mark give me everything you've got to the main thrusters at the back."

Yellow dipped itself slightly and span upside down, whilst Green banked up slowly, the distance between them and the SeeDs decreasing with lightening speed. Narrowing her green eyes, her grips on the controls tightening even more and making the steel and plastic creak slightly, Selphie watched the two ships as they began to curve upwards and downwards respectively – trying to sandwich her in between them in a north-south pincer attack. Instead of turning and fleeing, however, Selphie waited intently, patiently, giving the Heart vessels time, time to approach, time to charge their guns, time to draw closer together…

"Full power back thrusters, _now!!_" She screamed, suddenly pushing the controls forward, the hovers suddenly flaring brilliantly – before the thrusters kicked in, sending her screaming forward, aiming _right for the empty space between the two advancing ships!!_

The AI, realising what she was trying to do with amazing computing speed, activated it's main guns, the mini-guns on the two Heart ships flared into life, spitting red-hot tracer rounds at the belly and back of the massive red dragon, the round ripping straight into the metal and rending great holes in the shiny hide of the mechanical beast – but not much as Selphie slashed straight through the middle of their trajectory, speeding straight past them entirely. Programmed to only destroy the SeeD Ragnarok, the two Heart ships immediately abandoned their ramming tactic and took evasive manoeuvre, Yellow levelling out up-side down as Green levelled out right-ways up, the two Ragnaroks flying belly-to-belly with the Yellow on the bottom.

Killing the right thruster as soon as she was clear of the two Heart Ships, Selphie pumped her foot down on the left thruster's pedal and twisted the controlled to the left as well. The back right thrusters dying immediately, the left ones blazing hotly with sudden force, the Red Ragnarok suddenly _twisted in mid-air_, spinning around in a perfect 'slingshot', the sky spinning around in Selphie's sight – before she saw the quickly escaping Heart ships and jammed her fingers down on her fire-switches on the controls, slamming both her feet down on the pedals and shoving the controls forward as she did.

The Green Ragnarok managed to get out of the way, flying up and off into the clouds – but the Yellow one hadn't been so lucky, Selphie's tracer-rounds slamming straight into the back boosters and igniting the fuel-reserves stored within the sides of the loading bays – and causing the bright-yellow dragon to erupt into flames, metal flying in all directions as the dragon exploded brilliantly.

"Haha!! Stupid machine!!" Selphie crowed in triumph as she slashed straight through the cloud of smoke and flame that had emitted from the obliterated wreckage – before blanching as she saw something. "Oh poo!!"

The Blue Ragnarok had appeared out of nowhere, apparently having tried to sneak up behind Selphie to join in on the pincer attack launched by Yellow and Green – and was now careening towards her at unbelievable speeds!!

The man to her right suddenly looked over to Selphie. "Left boosters fully restored!!"

Selphie didn't need anymore telling – instantly her hand reached over to slap that big inviting red button she had hit so many times before – and felt that familiar crushing sensation as gravity took it's toll on her body as it squashed her into her pilot's seat and threatened to make her lose her lunch.

The Blue Ragnarok, having only been travelling at dog-fight speed - i.e. normal thruster speed – simply flew directly past them as Selphie pushed the controls down at the last second, the twin wings on the top of the Ragnarok scraping against the little arms of the Blue Heart ship as she passed by it, the Heart ship losing it's main guns – and it's target as Selphie screamed towards the WarWorld Badlands, a messy terrain of gigantic rocky canyons and mountains.

"Status!!" Selphie growled through gritted teeth as the G-forces continued to push at her.

"Living and Sleeping quarters have just sustained severe damage, ma'am! The top and bottom of the hull has been perforated as well, although only causing minimal damage. Missiles and main guns are loaded and ready for use – the Plasma Cannon will be fully charged and ready to fire on your command, ma'am!"

"What about our copy-cat friends?"

"The blue one had sustained damage to it's main guns, meaning it'll be using either it's missiles or it's Plasma Cannon in it's next attack – and the green one has disappeared into the clouds for the moment…"

"Keep an eye out for it." Selphie ordered as she tapped a button to activate the back-cameras, seeing the Blue Heart ship, having activated it's own boosters, quickly catching up with her. Narrowing her eyes at the massive blue dragon, she then looked down at the terrain before her, it's deep wide canyons open beneath her and almost beckoning for her, calling for her…

So she smirked and answered that call, deactivating the boosters and slipping down a few mach's, the Ragnarok suddenly dipping low – to disappear into a canyon!!

The cock-pit suddenly plunged into darkness from the canyons long black shadows, about every warning signal and siren wailed into Selphie's ears, making her grimace her pretty little face – and pull her hand back to slam it into the panel beside her, the metal buckling and rending – to allow her to grab a handful of wires, yanking them clear, the sirens and warnings suddenly shutting down as she ripped the safety system from it's position in the deck.

"That's better…" she whispered as she took a hold of the controls again and took evasive action, dipping and sliding in and out of long alleyways and winding corridors, some twisting like snakes with broken backs, others as straight as Casanova on Valentines day – before she slowed down, killing the main thrusters and only leaving on the hover-pads beneath her and any small bottom-burners to stop the metal dragon from bottoming out.

The Estharians were freaking out – it was insanity to fly within such enclosed and narrow spaces, not to mention illegal – there had already been more then enough damage to the Ragnarok to set back the Estharian weapons budget a few billion gil, any more would certify that President Laguna would not be pleased. Even more unsettling was the fact that Selphie had seemed to stop flying the ship seriously – setting the thrusters and hover-pads on auto-pilot, she steered with her foot as she shook her arms uncomfortably. "Aiyaaa, maybe I ought to do more push-ups like Zell says I ought to do…wrestling with those controls is cramp-city!"

"M-ma'am!!" One co-pilot shouted, watching the red walls com dangerously close to the edge of the Ragnarok. "Please use both hands!! We're still being hunted!!"

Selphie smirked over to the man, poking her tongue out at the man. "What you cant see cant hurt you – or, at least, until it decides to hurt you."

"Excuse me, ma'am?"  
Selphie pointed up to the cloud-filled sky, and the Estharians looked up – to watch as the Blue Ragnarok flew straight over them, leaving large vapour trails behind it as it still fired it's main thrusters, trying to seek it's prey out within the dank depths of the canyons beneath it. Seeing the confused looks on their faces, Selphie smiled. "Even an AI system has be programmed – seeing as doing something like what I'm doing requires an expert pilot of infinite skill and wisdom, not to mention grace, beauty – and bucket-loads of insane stunts under her belt – an AI would not be able to come down here for the sheer fact that there are too many risks at stake! Cool, huh?"

"…Yes ma'am, you are all those things and very astute for recognising such a unique weakness…but it would make us feel a lot better if we finished what we are here to do and resume something a little less…dangerous? Like our prior mission?"

Selphie sighed, cracking her knuckles and putting her foot back down on the floor. "Scaredy-cats…" She muttered as she turned the controls up slightly, letting the dragon bank upwards slowly, emerging from the darkness…

Casually flicking a switch up and delicately placing her finger down on the button beneath it, Selphie smiled sweetly. "Chocks away."

From the little arms, not from the middle where the mini-guns were situated but from the sides, two compartments opened from the outside of both sides – to allow two little missiles to launch from the compartments, the missiles flying forward a little faster then the ship's speed thanks to momentum – before their little boosters fired into life, long licking flames blazing from behind them as they suddenly flew forward with impressive speed. About the size of a small car and packing enough power to wipe out half of Balamb Garden, the missiles also had a heat-seeking device attached to the tips, kindly donated from the Earthlings – most, if not all, Gaian missiles didn't have heat-seeking apparatuses because, quite simply, not many conventional war-vessels used burners, replying on the more silent and manoeuvrable hover pads instead, which emitted very little heat.

Selphie watched with a small smile as the Blue Ragnarok, obviously seeing the incoming missiles on it's monitors and taking evasive action, fired it's thrusters a little harder and banked sharply to the right – only to have the missiles bank right after it!!

Just as I thought – the AI doesn't know what to do! It's based on Gaian technology, on Estharian technology – not Earth technology! Selphie thought triumphantly as she giggled, watching the Blue Heart ship begin to fly in a tight circle to avoid the heat-seekers, unable to break out of it's circle as the two missiles continued to follow it's thrusters – before the missiles finally caught up and detonated right within the two thruster-ports, the explosions kicking the blue dragon forward – and eradicating it's back-half, only the destroyed arms and head left to fly forward to explode onto the rocky terrain.

"Booya!!" Selphie cried in delight, clapping her hands together with joy. "Selphie two, copycats nil!!"

The Estharians cheered along with her – before the one on the left looked down at his screen. "Ma'am, bogey at six-o'clock approaching fast – it's the last one, ma'am."

Selphie, feeling immensely confident and with a smirk etched onto her face, immediately flipped a few switched and span the Ragnarok around to face her opponent, the thrusters firing as she began to advance towards the Green Heart ship. "Just one more, boys, and we can go and relax after that!" She giggled. "What's it doing?"

"Nothing ma'am. It's approaching at half-thrusters speed, doesn't seem to be targeting anything just yet. It might be waiting until we're closer until it decides to lock on…but nothing yet."

"That's interesting…" Selphie whispered – before shrugging. "Meh. It's an AI, it's allowed to be scared. Lock on main guns and all missiles! Lets wax this silly machine!"

"Wax targeting initiating… You are fully prepared to wax, ma'am."

The two ships slowly closing their gaps between them, Selphie with an even smile on her face from the Estharians try-hard attempt at humour, the Green Ragnarok simply coasting towards her with little to no heed of the targeting klaxons blaring within it's empty cockpit, Selphie suddenly jammed her fingers on the triggers on the controls.

A massive payload of missiles suddenly fell out of the sides of the dragon's arms as the arms split down the middle and unloaded it's tracer rounds at the head of the massive metallic dragon, Selphie cackling with glee as the bullets and missiles raced one another to be the first to wipe the Green copy from the face of the WarWorld…

"Ma'am, I'm detecting a massive output of ion and plasma energy from the bottom of the blue Ragnarok!! It's about to fire it's Plasma Cannon!!"

"Oh crap." Selphie whispered as she watched the bottom of the Green Ragnarok flash – before a beam of sheer energy slashed forward, reducing the tracer rounds to ash and causing the heat-seekers to explode as soon as they got within range – then bore down on the SeeD Ragnarok with no mercy whatsoever!!

Her eyes wide, her arms suddenly straight as she pulled the controls up and to the right with all her might, her feet slamming down on the pedals to fire every single booster, thruster and hover-pad she had, Selphie literally felt the heat of the Plasma Charge as it sizzled right over the Ragnarok's belly, sheering a great chunk out of the loading bay in the bottom of the ship, only barely missing the fuel-pods on either side of the loading bay – but only grazing the ship, the charge flying away behind them to hit a mountain – and detonate, exploding in a sudden flash of blue plasma, reducing the mountain to ashes.

"Ma'am!! The loading bay had been severely damaged, and we've lost almost all the hover-pads on the bottom!!" The man on the left screamed.

"Main guns are down!! Missiles are in-operational!! We're defenceless now! We have to retreat!!" The man on the right cried.

"Not on your life." Selphie growled, her little arms baring their muscles as she wrestled with the shaky controls. "Nobody ruins my ship like this and gets away with it with only a few scratches. Report on the enemy!"

"…Enemy ship is recharging it's Plasma Cannon. It's opting to take us out with one clean shot instead of finishing us off with conventional weapons. Recharge time T-Minus three minutes! How the hell could they make it recharge that fast?!"

"…Charge the Plasma Cannon." Selphie ordered.

The Estharians paused, before the one on the left spoke up. "Ma'am, if we fire the Plasma Cannon with our current energy…the chances we'll be able to complete our mission will go down dramatically."

"The chances of failure are already quite high, dammit – the only way we can be sure to keep things level is to take out that ship!! Divert all spare power to remaining after-burner and boosters and keep them on standby – and charge the damn Plasma Cannon."

"…Yes ma'am…" The Estharians said professionally, doing their job.

Selphie kept her eyes on the ship before her, not even a kilometre away, obvious in the red sky, it's green hull like a loose leaf in a sea of blood. She'd fought a good game against the machines – but now this would be the deciding factor. Who would be the one to get the first shot off. Her Plasma Cannon was lowered and had been charged before hand, so its length was already sparking and flashing with gigantic tongues of static. The bottom of the long barrel was scorched and melted away from the previous Plasma attack – but it was still mainly intact and fully operational, only still able to fire from the fact that it had been hidden within the Ragnarok's belly. If it had been hanging out, it would've been taken out easily.

The targeting system was locking onto the Green Heart ship, the tone ringing softly in Selphie's ears, Selphie's finger poised at the ready over the trigger on the left control stick. What Irvine would call a Galbadian Draw…he'd probably think of some clever way to distract the bad guy…say something funny, or do something stupid like he always does…oh Irvine…I love you… She thought, her mind a mixture of emotions as she looked at the Green Ragnarok…

…And heard the tone go off with a shrill beep, the Plasma Cannon charged and ready to fire.

"Brace!!" She screamed – before pulling the trigger.

Okay, so I promised six GFs…and I only gave you one…but what about that Ragnarok fight? Better then some GF's, huh?

Tch, fine, coming up in the next few chapters I'll give you five GF's…pushy audience, but you know I love the challenge...not only that, but more Universal War (Seifer&Seifer VS Seifer, anyone?), the Azel VS Zell battle, and yes, you've guessed it – two Sorceresses literally tearing the planet to shreds – as well as the final, shocking twist that no-one will see coming!! YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, NO-ONE DAMMIT!!

You wont wanna miss it.

((Whoowa, 34 pages…16,000 words…I think I'm gaining more levels with each chapter, what do you think? Michael Kenny: Level 87, SeeD Rank S. :P ))


	32. End Game

Ch 32 – End Game

Entering the base was simple – just slip through the hanger doors and face off against a few hundred soldiers.

The SeeDs paused at the entrance, looking like children caught with their hands in the cookie jar. The Heart soldiers, most of them not even wearing their armour or carrying weapons, looking back, looking shocked, looking surprised.

The hanger was filled with equipment and stock – the walls covered in shelves of boxes fill with miscellaneous gear. As well as the loading and housing bay for the Heart Ragnaroks, this must've also been where the Hearts always deployed their infantry. A massive Arch sat at the other end of the large hanger beside the double doors marked 'Entrance'. The SeeDs would have to fight their way past the soldiers to get to the double-doors.

The two factions stood there for a second, staring at each other – before the SeeDs charged, Squall's LionHeart blazing through the air as it cleaved straight through one man and decapitated another before he blew another man apart with the pull of the trigger, body parts and blood spraying in all directions.

Then chaos erupted.

Zell literally threw himself at the enemy, taking down scores of them with his attacks. A punch let fly which smashed a man in the chest, shattering his breastplate and sending him hurtling back through the crowds – before Zell pulled his hand back and thrust it forward again, fire blazing from his palm to scorch and roast a good number of the foes. Surrounded by men Zell twisted his body, his fist slashing out to take three men across the chops and sending them spinning to the floor, then kicked one in the guts, causing him to fly forward, tripping several who advanced forward.

Dee fought alongside her mother, the two women proving their mettle. Approaching a soldier Dee let off a devastating combo, her fists smashing his face and stomach before she let go with a kick to the crotch, sending him to his knees – which was when Angel grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him at the other soldiers, the man sending five to the ground like a bowling ball hitting ten-pins. As soon as they were down, however, they were overrun by the men behind them, the Heart soldiers trampling their comrades without a second thought.

Turning to her mother and grabbing her hands, Dee swung her around by her arms, Angel's legs slashing out to smash a number of men down before landing on the balls of her feet – then swinging Dee, the teen wiping out ten men in one swing.

Rinoa stood to the back of the room, picking off anyone who strayed too far and tried to flank her friends. Seeing a group of men sneaking around the scrum that had erupted, she levelled her Blaster Edge and fired. The weapon consisted mainly of two parts – the launching mechanism attached to her arm and the massive, razor-sharp disc loaded on top of it – the Shooting Star, a jagged-edged disc that was so sharp it almost cut through anything on earth. Levelling the weapon at the men she pressed the stub near her elbow – and the Shooting Star blasted from the mechanism, whirring through the air – to slice straight through the group, arms and torsos falling apart before the disc ended it's arc and flew back for Rinoa to catch with the mechanism, a precision mark by the Sorceress. The disc span in the mechanism dangerously, a sharp whirring sound emitting as it cut through the air around her arm. It had been a while since she'd used it – but she was smiling at the kills. She hadn't lost her touch.

Grabbing a man by his face and hurling him into his friends Zell turned to smash his fist into a jumping soldier, knocking him away before grabbing the breastplate of another and cracking his head into his with a vicious head butt, knocking the man stupid – before picking him up by his neck and groin and, spinning like a hammer-thrower, used him as a battering weapon, crushing the Hearts with one of their own, the bodies falling around him and screams erupting as bones were broken and tendons were torn free from bone.

Finally finishing with his now very limp weapon, Zell threw him away in the general direction of the blazing blue light that was slicing and dicing enemies – to watch as the body was cut from the air with a flash of blue light. "Squall!!" Zell yelled, watching as the entrance doors opened, grabbing a sword swung at him with his gauntlet and ramming the butt into his attacker's face before spearing the sword into another Heart's chest. "More company!"

Squall's LionHeart cut a man to ribbons before the SeeD turned to look at the door, the gunblader clutching the sword with both hands, his clothing splattering with the blood of his enemies. Another platoon of soldiers were coming out of the doors – but these weren't your standard issue soldiers.

These guys were covered head-to-toe in Orihalcon. If they were hoping to get to the Queen in a fighting-fit state, they'd have to deal with them quickly.

Drawing his eyes from the new Hearts for a second, Squall cut a man in half before crying out an order. "SeeDs, GF 37B!"

GF Thirty-seven B. Basically a protection manoeuvre, allowing the GF user time to call upon a GF who was reluctant to be drawn, by using his SeeD comrades to provide a distraction.

Zell blinked. He had never been one for studying the SeeD Handbook – but he knew the tone of voice for 'cover me' when he heard it. Ignoring the enemies surrounding him for a split second, Zell suddenly jumped high into the air, his Uber Ehrgiez gauntlet raised high – before he slammed it into the ground, the concrete crumbling with the force of his blow. "Quake!"

As if he'd set off a nuclear bomb underground, the concrete around his fist suddenly undulated out in ever-growing circles, disturbing the floor and rendering it to rubble and tossing Hearts in every direction imaginable, the magical earthquake shaking them to the very core, even causing their muscles to tremble sporadically, armour and weapons being shaken right off their bodies. Even the men clad in Orihalcon had trouble keeping their footing as the ground rumbled violently underneath them, some actually falling over as the War World earth split and cracked.

Squall held his LionHeart out before him before drawing his left fist from the hilt to his chest, closing his eyes as he called upon the GF he had within him. The GF he was calling was a rarely used one – mainly used for creating confusion as well as massive property damage, this GF was usually junctioned to Selphie – but, seeing as she wasn't going to be directly fighting, it was only fair that Squall borrow it for the mission.

That didn't mean it had to like it, however.

Angel, seeing that Squall needed more time to negotiate, also stepped forward, the only other person understanding the command – actually understanding it, not just winging it like Zell did. Drawing her little fists back and balling them tightly by her sides, her hands trembling as the air around her grew hot, breathing out almost all the air in her lungs, she shoved her hands forward in a sudden gesture – then the air before her turned crimson with flame as her Flare raged forward, the super-hot charge of magical energy blazing forth to wipe out and disintegrate many of the initial Hearts who had been in the hanger, their unprotected bodies turning to ash easily. The lucky few who managed to put Shells up before the Flare engulfed them were knocked into a daze by the unbelievable force of the blast, the left men tottering on their feet for a second as the Flare finally died down.

That was plenty of time. Squall's GF had finally decided to co-operate, and suddenly throwing out his left hand disappeared in a puff of logic – as well as the other SeeDs.

The Hearts, picking themselves up off the floor and trying to figure out just where the enemy had just disappeared to, blinked suddenly as a large purple object slammed in through the roof of the hanger and landed on the mass of men, crushing them under-foot. Watching as the humanoid figure, about the size of a ten-ton truck and just as wide, turned to them and opened what seemed like a valve on it's head area, the Hearts instinctively began to scatter – not that it would've done much.

Pandemonium opened the flaps on flesh on it's cheeks, the small bag hanging off it's back twitching slightly as it's purple skin shivered – then steeled itself as the bag grew smaller, blowing all the air out – before a gigantic vacuum sucked in every small shred in the hanger into itself, everything not nailed down released from gravity and sent flying into the air and into the Guardian Forces' maw.

Heart Soldiers, scrap metal, Ragnarok equipment, the Orihalcon squad – everyone was drawn into the bag on it's back, the bag beginning to grow to a stupendous girth as even the ruined ground, the rubble made by Zell's Quake and Angel's Flare, was sucked up and swallowed by the large Guardian Force. The men in the Orihalcon armour were screaming as they were lifted off the ground be the incredible suction and pulled through the air into the 'mouth' of the strange creature, being swallowed into darkness. Within the bag the Hearts that weren't protected by the Orihalcon were quickly being reduced to pulp by the masses of debris Pandemonium was sucking up, their bodies being assailed in all directions. The men in Orihalcon tried not to puke in their helmets as they were tossed up and down by the bag, not worrying about the debris as it pinged harmlessly off the nigh-to-indestructible armour – but more worried about the motion sickness they were getting.

Pandemonium's chest was beginning to puff out as it drew on the last dregs of it's breath, the powerful suction even tearing the panelling off the walls and roof, these being reduced to serrated metal as it was all swallowed by it's indestructible maw, the distended bag on it's back wobbling dangerously, beginning to overload with the quantity of stuff it had within – before Pandemonium finally stopped sucking and began to eject it all.

Every single scrap of rubble, metal, human or otherwise was blown out of the now wide-open mouth, spraying in all directions as the GF switched from suck to blow, every shred that had been draw in now ejected in a powerful jet of air. The force of the wind actually blew a section of the wall of the hanger down, letting the men and debris scatter out far and wide across the War World's blood-red plains. Rocks, limbs, crushed bodies, flashes of Orihalcon – it was all spewed out and blown away, tossed off into the distance and forgotten.

The bag finally hanging behind it, void of anything but a few dusty pieces here and there, Pandemonium shook itself a little, much like a dog did when it was wet – before simply dissolving from the head up, melting away to go where GF's went when they weren't called upon.

Squall and the others reappeared suddenly, simply popping back into existence to see the utter destruction around them.

Dee was flabbergasted. She had no idea what had just taken place – one second she had been punching some guy's lights out, the next she was standing in what looked like a hanger stripped bare. Everything that had been scattered around was gone, the walls and roof stripped of their panelling – even the floor looked like it had been sucked up by something. "What the hell was that?!" She breathed.

Zell smirked and patted her on the shoulder. "I'll tell you later, hon. Lets keep going."

Irvine shook the massive Minigun angrily, the engine on the turret squealing and ejecting lubrication fluid in protest. "Dammit! Jammed!!" He shouted, dumping the weapon to the ground and reaching behind him – to pull his Exeter from it's back-sheath, the long shotgun gleaming in the red War World sun as he swung it around to jam into a Heart's face – before pulling the trigger, the ammunition blowing the man's head clean off and spraying the rest of the men behind him with blood and brains, Irvine's teeth gritted as his arm took the massive recoil in stride, almost blowing him off his feet.

Regaining his composure and pointing the gun at another man, Irvine pulled the trigger again, the power of the shell kicking the man right off his feet – as well as rendering the gun empty. Snapping the weapon open Irvine reached into his pocket for more shells – before being barrelled off his feet by a mass of men, his body crushing under their collective weight.

The good thing about the Minigun was that it sprayed lead like water from a hose and had torn apart scores of the Hearts in almost no time at all. The bad thing was that it made you one hell of a target. In war – in _any_ battle – the main objective is to win with the least losses. That meant taking out the largest threat and working your way down there. And, judging by the screaming masses of men running towards Irvine, he had been rated by the Hearts as a pretty big threat.

Nonplussed by the men Irvine swung the Exeter across the face of the man on top of him before kicking him off, rolling back and to his feet, reloading two new shells into the open breech of the gun – then snapped it shut with the flick of a wrist and levelled it at the men, bracing himself by stamping his feet into the ground for friction and gritting his teeth – before pulling the trigger.

The shot rang out over the screaming crowd of warriors like a sonic boom, a massive wave of men dying under the sheer destructive force of the Pulse ammunition, the concentrated force of an Ultima destroying the rest of the advancing Hearts with literally no resistance. The bullet had punched straight through ten warriors before detonating, the explosion of Dark energy expanding in less then a second and swallowing anything that got in it's way and de-atomising it.

Irvine was punched off his feet by the extraordinarily strong kickback, the stock of the weapon smashing into his shoulder and dislocating his arm with little effort, the blowback throwing him through the air and back into the Universals surging forth behind him. Screaming out curses and threats and things about the Heart's mothers, Irvine was helped to his feet and quickly healed by one of the thousands of medics scattered around the war ground – before being shoved back into battle, holstering his Exeter until he needed it again – those Pulse rounds were expensive and rare!! – and letting his Vincent Valentine handguns slip out of his sleeves into his hands, the handguns flaring wildly as he began to fight again.

Seifer, having recovered from the GF use quickly, was right in the thick of it, his Hyperion slashing and cutting wildly, blood flowing and limbs flying in all directions as he twisted and whirled, not a Heart being able to touch him as he executed each and every one who reached him with almost no effort.

Major Almasy kept Seifer covered perfectly, the Doppel from Earth having discarded his M16A1 and having to pull out his P90, the stubby sub-machine gun's barrel flaring as the shell-less 7.62mm NATO rounds spewed from the gun at an alarming rate. He had given up on spraying the enemy a long time ago – now he kept back in the midst of the Universals, sniping any men who seemed to get the jump on a fellow soldier with a quick burst from the P90. He followed Seifer, however – something in him told him he might need his help, and besides, nobody wanted to see themselves getting killed, even if it was just a Universal Doppelganger.

Seifer had been working his way forward, the bodies flying away from him in all directions as he pushed through the ranks of the Hearts quickly, the line beginning to bend inward to stop him – and allowing the Universals to form a arrow-head attack, the Gaian and Te'Get soldiers suddenly running forward with increased stamina, guns shots and voices screaming out as the break in the Heart's line grew at an alarming rate.

Seifer's gunblade flashed forward – before the Heart before him simply fell to pieces, the SeeD kicking the still dropping body out of the way to allow him space to move and slash his sword down at another nameless Heart, this one also wielding a gunblade, the two blades slashing up and down towards each other – to crash together in an explosion of sparks, the Heart having stopped Seifer's genocide melee with one strike!

Seifer blinked in amazement, stumbling back before steadying himself again. It had been the first time in almost two hours that anybody had actually fought back decently.

The Heart before him held his gunblade with excellent form, his stance perfect. His body and face were covered by a long white cloak, stained with the blood of the Universals that lay around him – soldiers who had run up with Seifer, keeping him covered from the sides. The Hearts surged forward, seeing the Universal hero stopped, and the two warring factions found themselves in a stalemate as the two sides clashed.

Swords chinking and gunshots raining around them, the Heart before Seifer took off the hook of his cloak to reveal a familiar shock of blond hair, piercing blue eyes, a sharp nose and a square jaw. Seifer's eyes widened. He'd seen that face. He saw it everyday, reflected in the water or a mirror.

It was his face.

"I've been hoping to find you on the battlefield." The Heart Seifer called over the sounds of battle, shoving the body of a dead Heart away from him as the man's head exploded beside him.

Seifer growled menacingly, his Hyperion slashing forward as two Hearts leapt at him, their clubs raised – before flying right past him, their bodies falling to pieces as they hit the floor, Seifer's gunblade coming to a stop before him, the tip pointed at his Doppel. "You want a piece of me?!"

"We'll see!!" The Heart Seifer cried, throwing himself forward to meet the SeeD head on.

Almasy levelled his P90 and let off a short burst, the bullet tears a man's head from it's shoulders before the Major slammed his boot forward to kick the body down – and blanch at the crowd of men racing forwards at him.

Running backwards he jammed his finger on the trigger and swung the P90 to the right, perforating the men quickly and messily – before the gun ran empty, a hollow and ominous clicking noise emitting from the clip atop the gun.

Blinking for a second, the Major ripped the new clip from the top of the weapon, trying to watch the men advancing on him as he fumbled for a new clip on his webbing – before one of the Hearts leapt forward and stabbed his knife straight into Almasy's chest.

The Major skidded back with a cry, his feet catching on the bodies strewn about on the ground and causing him to fall back – to kick his feet into the Heart's chest and flinging him up and over his body back into the Universals, the Major rolling backwards and into a crouch – and expertly drawing his Desert Eagle on the fly, the .50 calibre handgun's booming making the P90's almost insect-like chatter seem miniscule. The large bullets flew out of the handgun and straight into the rest of the advancing group of Hearts, the impact of the bullets blowing them right off their feet and drilling straight through their body armour. The Major was screaming as he stood and walked forward, the Israeli-made gun jumping in his hand as all fourteen rounds went straight into the enemy before the hammer clicked on an empty chamber, the slide locked back, the clip empty.

His breathing wild, his finger still pulled the trigger on reflex. Never in his ten years in the Marines had he ever been so close to Death and felt the exhilaration of brushing past him. The noise of explosions and gunshots fell onto deaf ears; the only sound the roar of his blood and his hyperventilating breath and the click of the hammer hitting the slide ominously.

A hand was placed on his shoulder in the midst of the sudden reflexive period, causing him to swing the massive handgun around – to be caught by the blades of what seemed to be some kind of spiked Frisbee held in the petite hand of Fujin, her one cool grey eye looking up at him. Her cold voice stabbed straight through his frozen mind, bringing light to his darkened shock. "Calm." She whispered, the hand on his shoulder glowing brightly for a second, the Dispel moving through his body – before he blinked.

The Major's breathing slowed, and he looked down at the white-haired woman. The barrel of the Desert Eagle was placed on her forehead, the blades having only just stopped it from being jammed into her remaining eye. If the gun had still been loaded, he would've blown her head clean off. "I…I'm sorry…I don't know what came over me…" He said, his voice full of shock as he tried to apologise…

She removed the blades of her Chakra from the Desert Eagle and walked past him. "Forget." She stabbed at him before running back into the battle.

Finally back in control of himself from the Berserk, the Major looked down at his Kevlar breastplate – to see the knife the Heart had stabbed at him jutting out. The Kevlar had saved his life, the tip of the blade only having nicked his skin – just enough to automatically cast the magic on him. Grabbing the knife he tried to pull it out – but gave up after a few tugs. It was wedged in tight. Ejecting the spent clip from the Desert Eagle instead, he reloaded the large handgun and turned to follow Fujin, collecting the discarded P90 as he went and reloading it as well.

The two Seifer's faced off a few meters away from the Major's scene, the SeeD snarling at the Heart for a second, slashing the Hyperion through the air once more – before launching himself at him, the large gunblade held high above his head as he leapt straight through the air at the Heart – and slammed the sword down onto the Heart's gunblade, their swords sparking furiously as the Heart buckled under the attack slightly – then jumped back. 

The two men were suddenly lost in a flurry of attacks, the sounds of their blades ringing out as they fought within their warring factions, the Hearts slamming straight into the Universals with little relent. Their gunblades flashed in the red War World sun, glinting menacingly with each blow as sparks flew from the edges, each man screaming at the other with unsurpassed fury from behind their weapons as the modified swords crashed into each other again and again.

The SeeD Seifer slashed his sword out suddenly, having jumped back and swung the sword across like a baseball bat, the edge glinting as sparks flew when the Heart Seifer lifted his gunblade to stop the Hyperion from taking his head clean off – before the SeeD pulled the trigger on his gunblade, the tip booming and flaring and causing the Heart to bellow in agony as the flare burned his face and the bullet blew off his ear, sending the little piece of meat and skin flipping off into the distance followed by a gout of blood.

Shoving the Hyperion away from him the Heart skidded forward, his gunblade lancing forward to stab Seifer in the chest – but Seifer managed to slap the gunblade away from him with his free left hand, causing the Heart Seifer to stumble up to the SeeD – and receive a fist to the face, the SeeD's hand following through with the swing out to swing back and slam into the Heart's cheek in a perfect left hook. Sweat spilled off the Heart's face and blood spewed from his mouth as a few teeth were dislodged – before he replied in due force, his own free hand rocketing out to slam into Seifer's face in a perfect _right _hook.

Seifer span in the air with the powerful blow, landing on the ground with a bloody snarl on his face – then rolling to the side as the dusty surface was blown apart from the Blizzards being shot at him by the Heart, the shards of ice stabbing into the ground around him like unholy rain. Rolling away and flipped up to his feet Seifer twirled his sword to cut the remainders of the Blizzards aimed at him from the air – then pushed his own hand out, the Aero he cast blowing the Heart off his feet and sending him flying back into his comrades.

Spinning the Hyperion in his left hand and pulling it back, he shoved his right hand forward and spread his legs wide – and screamed a battle cry, a threatening stance for anyone who was faced off against him. He looked like a wild man, his tattered white coat flaring in the War World wind, his face and shirt drenched in sweat and blood. He was in the zone, focused, intense, deadly.

The Hearts shoved their Seifer to his feet, the Heart shaking his head to rid himself of the wooziness imparted by the sudden, saw Seifer's victory stance – and snarled a rattling growl, spitting some blood out of his mouth – then bunched his free fist together, drawing it close to him and smiling wickedly at his Doppel as four green balls with fire within them appeared and circled his body – before his fist slashed up, two fingers pressed together stabbing up into the sky at Seifer.

Then his disappeared.

And the ground exploded upwards, a massive figure looming up from the earth and staring down at the SeeD.

The Major was advancing forward with Fujin, his P90 and Desert Eagle flaring periodically to tear the Heart's to shreds, Fujin's Chakra slicing into the enemy equally well.

The Marine was about to ask Fujin how she could get the Frisbee to fly back to her so well – it looked like something out of Mad Max, but more spiky and evil – when the massive figure loomed up before them, seeming to just pop out of the ground and stare down at them all.

"What the flying fuck is that?!" The Major shouted, stamping his foot down on the man he'd just jumped on and putting a .50 calibre bullet into his brain before looking up at the monster again. _First a big sea snake and now this?! This is like something out of some kinda fantasy video game!!_

The massive creature looked like a human – except for its gigantism, that was. It stood almost ten stories tall and was covered in masses of what looked like Japanese armour, a gigantic Katana and Wazikashi stuffed into it's belt to it's left side. The helmet the massive monster wore had a faceplate of smooth glass upon it that glinted in the sunlight – no, not glass, a mirror. The mirror reflected whatever it saw immediately, and it was turned down to look at Seifer standing alone in the battlefield, tiny compared to the GF.

The Hearts immediately began to pull back, some of them screaming in horror. "Tetsu-Ko, Testu-Ko!!"

Irvine stepped up to stand beside the Major. "My guess – Tetsu-Ko, whoever that is." He muttered, popping the spent clips from his Vincents and reloading them calmly. His bloody blasting had somehow gotten him to make his way to Fujin and the other Seifer, which was fine by him. The Universal army had seemed to take a collective step back, uncertain of the proceedings now that there seemed to be a gigantic humanoid in the centre of the battlefield. "A Guardian Force."

"A Guardian what?" The Major whispered in confusion, also reloading his own guns whilst he had the chance.

Quistis walked up from behind Irvine, wrapping her Save The Queen around her forearm absently. "Guardian Force. Next time I'd suggest reading the Gaian notes you were given, Major – they might just save your life if we ever need you in battle again. But to fill you in, a Guardian Force is a monster summoned by a person to help them in battle – with very destructive results." Lifting her microphone to her lips she spoke quietly into it, ordering the Universals to pull back until the monster was destroyed.

The Major grimaced. "Guess these Hearts had big guns after all…" He muttered, before pressing the stud on his own microphone. "Willis, what condition are our tanks in?"

_"They're all fucked, sir!! They weren't made for being swamped by masses of men!"_

"Shit…" The Major growled, lowering his wrist-mic. "Well, what do we do?"

Quistis sighed. "Well, standard procedure is to attack before it's prepared to attack itself…" She said, removing her glasses and looking over to him, flashing a brilliant smile underneath the red dust covering her face. "You might want to stay back with the rest of the army until we're done."

"Y-you mean you've beaten something like this before?! All by yourselves?!" The Major gasped in amazement.

Irvine shrugged, letting his Vincent's slip back into his sleeves and reaching behind him to pull out his Exeter, snapping the weapon open and catching the remaining shell that flipped out before reloading it with different ammunition. "Yeah, a couple of times…" He muttered, flipping the large shotgun shut and leaning it against his shoulder, looking over to Quistis with a grin. "Shall we?"

Quistis nodded with her own smile and they both walked forward walked forward, the two SeeDs picking their way through the fallen bodies and ruined ground to the only other figure in the battleground – Seifer, seemingly miniscule in size compared to the massive creature before him.

The Major tried to stop them, stepping forward with his hand outstretched – before Fujin boldly stepped past him, silently making her way after the two SeeDs. Looking back to watch the army retreat to a seemingly safe distance, Almasy swore again – before following after the SeeDs.

Seifer looked up at Testu-ko and grimaced. He hadn't expected his Doppel to pull a cowardly stunt like that. He wasn't so sure about this GF – he'd never seen anything like it. Was it an elemental? Non-elemental? Was it going to use those big swords in its belt, or did it do something with that mirror? That's the problems with GFs – they're unpredictable.

"It's a non-elemental." A woman's voice called. "It'll use that big sword for it's main attack."

He turned, blinking, to see Quistis walking up behind him, her eyes glowing the green of a Scan. "I thought I told you to stay away!" He growled, looking back.

"I love you too." She muttered with a sarcastic smirk, moving to stand beside him as the green glow left her eyes and she replaced her glasses. Although she didn't have Seifer figured out most of the time, she did know when he was uncertain of something. He probably wouldn't have figured to use a Scan – hell, he probably hadn't figured on his Doppel using a GF. Letting her golden whip fall she flicked it out, the wicked tip flicking out at before her to rest against the ground. "The mirror reflects what it's going to attack, and the attacks are instant – so make sure to keep out of its reflection."

Seifer grunted in reply.

Irvine walked up to him, standing by his side and looking up at the creature. "I wonder why it hasn't moved yet?" He asked, frowning up at the creature, seemingly unconcerned as he let the Exeter drop into his hands from it's lean on his shoulders.

"Afraid?" Fujin asked, walking up beside Irvine.

"Or maybe it's just waiting for the right time to strike." The Major put in, appearing beside Quistis, his P90 in one hand and the Desert Eagle in the other.

The five Universals looked at each other and shrugged – before Quistis, Seifer and Fujin advanced suddenly, Almasy and Irvine dropping to one knee and unloading their guns at the creature.

Zell and Squall moved forward through the base slowly, ready for anything, the girls taking up the rear.

The base seemed to be in chaos. Messengers ran through the corridors haphazardly, soldiers rushing to and from unseen places, warning klaxons blaring and red lights flashing. It seemed the Quake had put something of a panic into them – being buried under tons of rock wasn't a happy prospect for the Heart soldiers, it seemed.

The SeeDs slipped to and from the shadows and ran down corridors, dispatching any soldiers that stumbled across them and weaving their way through the facility. It seemed that the Heart Base was exactly the same as the SeeD base, layout and everything. The only real difference were the purple streamers that seemed to be hung in every corridor and off every roof, as if some kind of parade was happening.

Dee looked about with mute confusion, seriously not knowing what was going on. "Are we expected?" She asked, looking up at a camera and throwing a ball of ice at it, the camera breaking with the contact of the Blizzard.

"I'd say so." Squall muttered, stopping at a corner and shifting to look around it…before giving the all clear. "We weren't exactly subtle with our entrance."

"As long as we find the Queen." Rinoa whispered, following after Squall. "The Hearts will crumble without her. We need to find and get rid of her as soon as possible."

"Yeah." Zell agreed, coming to another corner and looking around it – before reaching out with his gauntlet to grab a sprinting messenger, yanking him off his feet by the back of his shirt and lifting him up to face Zell. "G'day buddy. You reckon you could fill us in on the location of your Queeny?"

The messenger looked at the five SeeDs and paled.

The elevator doors opened, Zell and Squall walking out slowly, Zell with his fists up, Squall with his LionHeart ready, walking onto a small platform which expanded into a massive catwalk lining the walls of the area they were in. They had been instructed by the messenger to go to the very lowest level of the base, deep in the bowels of War World. The SeeDs were going to use it as a bomb shelter, the lowest level literally a massive underground cave filled with stalagmites and little pools of water, the cavern gargantuan in size. It was the last line of defence if the Hearts ever got that far – a massive layer of bedrock lay between the bottom man-made level and this natural basement, and the elevator was the only way in or out.

It seemed, however, that the Queen had used it for a different purpose.

Lines upon lines of artefacts were placed in stacks that filled the main floor, making the area look like a subterranean library, the shelves filled with what looked like Angel ruins and sculptures.

A gigantic Arch sat at the other end of the cave, seemingly hewn from the very rocks itself. Unlike the other Arches so far, this one seemed to be made _from _the rock – not as a stand-alone item. Purple light spewed from it, energy crackling from the reflective surface in the form of black electricity, causing ripples to flow along the watery edge.

Zell swore as soon as he saw it. "Damn! Do you reckon she's buggered off?"

Rinoa stepped forward, passing him, her brown eyes slightly narrowed. "No…no, she's here somewhere…" She whispered. "I can feel it."

Zell blinked. "Oh…okay then."

Squall took charge. "Everyone keep together. If she's in here that means that she's got to be waiting for us, and that means she'll have protection. Stay sharp."

The SeeDs nodded as one and took a step forward – before something behind them chimed electronically.

Zell looked back at the elevator as the doors closed, his eyes widening at what he saw strapped to the sides of the elevator box – before grabbing Dee by the shirt and curling his arm around Angel's waist, running forward and throwing himself off the catwalk to hurtle to the stacks below, pulling his screaming loved ones with him…

…As the elevator was consumed by flame, the explosives strapped to the sides detonating and turning the elevator into scrap metal.

Zell tried to shield the girls with his body as the metal and fire rained down around them – before hearing a loud thud beside him, seeing Squall carrying Rinoa in his arms and landing beside them, also huddling Rinoa close to him, protecting her with his own body. "A trap!" Squall shouted in anger over another explosion, this one higher up the elevator shaft, causing the shaft to crumble and fill with debris, sealing the one and only entrance off.

They were now trapped.

After making sure Dee and Angel were all right, Zell stood – and punched the nearest wall, his metallic fist making a loud 'ding' as the rock crumbled. "Dammit!!" He shouted.

"Shhh!!" Squall hissed angrily, placing Rinoa down. "Be quiet!"

"Why?! We may as well called out introductions when we came in! Friggin hell, what dumbasses!!"

Squall scowled at Zell, leaving him to fume as he stood, walking over to where the LionHeart was jutting from the ground, pulling it out and checking it over. He'd thrown it away, with no time to flick it off, and picked up Rinoa with enough time to jump off the catwalk and away from the explosion. Thankfully the weapon was not severely damaged – a few scratches here and there, but nothing major it seemed.

Rinoa looked down at her Blaster Edge and sniffled. She hadn't been so lucky, throwing her arm up to deflect a random piece of debris, the metal hitting the mechanism and crushing it, rendering the weapon useless. Unstrapping it from her arm she placed it on the ground, wiping the tears from her eyes sadly. She'd just have to get a new one made. It was no big deal. It had only survived straight through everything they'd been through, including numerous Sorceress battles. No biggie.

Dee stood up and helped Angel to her feet. "You know, I could'a jumped away like that too…"

"I know, Dee." Angel said with a smile. "Zell has a tendency to rush things and be protective over what he finds dear, that's all."

"Quit it, I'm getting all misty." Zell muttered with a sheepish grin, turning to look back at them from looking over the stacks. Looking over to Rinoa he cocked his head at the rows upon rows of shelves. "What do you make of these, Rin?"

Rinoa blinked, stepping forward. "This…this is just like Earth…this must be a collection of all Tidus related material…including reference material on the Angel Race…" She whispered, walking forward to one of the shelves and running her hand over one of the stone tablets stored there…before turning to Squall. "Julius was right. This is all we'll ever want about the Angels and the Tidus'. We need to keep these stones as undamaged as possible."

Squall nodded, looking over the tablets lining the shelves – before looking down the centre of the stacks to the base of the Arch. "Well, that all depends on our hosts." He muttered…

…As he watched Queen Heartilly and Azel stand from their seats and looked down at the SeeDs, their bodies tiny before the gigantic Arch.

"Outta ammo!!" Major Almasy shouted, throwing down his P90 and pulling out his Desert Eagle, wiping the sweat from his brow as he threw himself away from another earth-shattering attack, the massive GF's sword shrieking as it cut through the atmosphere with blinding speed – to slam into the ground, the bedrock crumbling around them as a shockwave shattered the rock and shook them all off their feet.

Finding his footing quickly and cracking open the Exeter, the two smoking shells flying off over his shoulder, forgotten as he slammed two fresh ones into the chambers, Irvine flicked the massive silver shotgun closed and snarled at Almasy. "What do you want – a cookie?!" He shouted angrily – before levelling the gun to his shoulder and, setting his footing into the crumbled rock and wincing prematurely, pulled the trigger. The Exeter's muzzle blew out a five foot flare as his gave the monster a double-barrelled blast of Demolition Ammunition – the second strongest ammo beside Pulse. The sheer force of the blowback literally blew Irvine off his feet and screaming through the air – to slam into Fujin, their bodies tumbling away into the dust that had just been kicked up by a freak storm.

The sand storm blew harshly around them, getting into their eyes and mouths and ears, the monster's legs being shrouded by the clouds of crimson dust. There was an inhuman wail, however, as the GF tottered on it's long armoured legs, it's breastplate smoking from Irvine's attack.

Seifer picked himself up from the last attack he'd just barely dodged, the massive sword lying right next to him, it's blade still stuck into the earth, and looked up, wishing, praying that the monster would fall. The battle had only gone on for less then ten minutes – but already his lungs were burning, his muscles feeling like dead weights, the Hyperion heavy in his hands. It was taking all his skill and luck to keep his barrage of attacks up – plus he was running out of high-level magic.

The monster teetered back slightly, the armoured beast's reflective face turning to look up at the raging red sky – before falling back, rocking on it's heels to fall like a tree…

…Only to be stopped by the hilt of it's massive sword, the Katana sheath sticking out from behind it and acting like a prop, keeping the monster on its feet.

"Dammit!!" Seifer shouted.

"Fuck!!" Major Almasy grunted, lifting his Desert Eagle to take a bead on the creature's features – before looking left, spying something in the rubble – and smiling.

Testu-ko seemed to shake it's helmeted head and lifted it's free hand to brush over the crack in it's armour, feeling the charred edges as well as the scorch marks of many a magic blast and slashes from whips and Chakras – then began to push itself back to it's feet slowly, reaching forward to grip the hilt of the sword stabbed deep into the ground and beginning to pull it out, the massive edge rumbling loudly through the dirt as it was drawn out as easily as a person pulling a knife out of a jar of peanut butter.

Watching the massive sword beginning to move up, Quistis ran forward, tired of attacking from the ground with her whip, where she did little damage – she could not stand to watch Seifer risk himself any further. Racing up to the sword's edge as it began to taper to the wicked tip, the blade three times larger then her, she slashed her Save The Queen out, the golden length wrapping around the sword's blade and holding fast – and yanking her up into the sky!!

"Quistis!!" Seifer screamed, watching her be pulled away from him, powerless to stop her.

Testu-ko looked down at the woman on its blade as she crawled up to stand on the flat of the blade, the face of the GF reflecting her perfectly – before the face flashed.

Quistis' eyes widened behind her spectacles – before she threw herself forward, Save The Queen unfurling itself from the blade and being pulled along with her like a golden demon's tail as the part of the blade where she had been standing just moments ago burst into flame, the edge of the blade growing hot from the light mysteriously reflected off the mirror. It was the monster's most deadly attack – once you were reflected, you had less then a second to dodge before a powerful light was shone from the heavens and reflected off the GF's face-plate to scorch you into cinders.

Quistis rolled with the leap, coming to her feet – and racing forward, running up the edge of the blade as the monster drew the sword close, trying to tip her off the edge as well as roast her with it's Reflection attack. Dipping and swerving, ducking and diving, trying desperately to keep to the edge of the gigantic sword, Quistis finally ran right up to the hilt and leapt up and over it, landing on the armoured hand – and began to scramble desperately up the monster's arm, running past the knuckles and wrist guards and clambering over the fore-arm padding, looking like some kind of tiny bug crawling up a Knight's armour.

The GF lifted it's free hand and tried to slap her off, it's massive gauntlet slamming into it's own arm again and again.

Seifer screamed out in rage, the Hyperion dragging behind him as he ran forward, sparks skittering off the metal gunblade as it jumped and rocked off the rocky ground – then swung it around, attacking the monster's right shin, the Hyperion slamming into the armour and bouncing off – to slash into it again and bounce off once more, the Hyperion's barrel flaring as bullets pinged off the seemingly indestructible protective exoskeleton.

Tetsu-ko, still slapping his arm as Quistis kept managing to avoid it's attacks, pulled it's long thick leg out of Seifer's sword-reach – and kicked forward, collecting Seifer up on it's boot and sending him hurtling into the air and off into the distance, booted out of the fight as easily as a soccer-ball.

"_Seifer_!!" Quistis screamed, watching as Seifer's white-coated figure disappeared into the dust-clouds – before looking up at the monster's hand as it came hurtling down at her, it's palm filled with blue light – before it simply _exploded, _the hand just blowing apart and sending tree-trunk sized fingers and shreds of palm in all directions.

Quistis stood and looked up at the monster's mirror-like face with her burning blue eyes, her Blues now in full effect as she ripped off her spectacles – and raced forward, still clambering up the monster, now reaching it's shoulder. In a few minutes she would be on its collarbone, and then she would have an easy shot at its armoured head –

At least, she thought she would have. Her hand lifted up to grasp a piece of armour – before the bloody stump of Tetsu-ko's wrist slammed into her, crushing her to it's armour like a fly being swatted to a person's shirt. Her shrill scream echoed out around the battlegrounds as purple GF blood splattered over her like a flood, mixing with her own as she looked down to see her crushed legs, flattened and tattered against the monster's plated armour and stuck to it like squashed fruit pressed against a wall.

Tears flowed out of her blue eyes as they lost their magical glow, the blue irises lifting up to look at the stump, stained with purple and red blood, lifting high up into the air, preparing to finish off her painful existence. There was no hope of fighting back now. Her legs were destroyed, her whip lost from the shock of the pain, her hands gripping the edges of the armour in terror, unable to move. She could only close her eyes and try to picture Seifer's face one last time as she placed her head to the armoured plating and prepared herself to meet the Gods…

_"Eat it!!"_

A gigantic explosion sounded right after the screamed words, the shockwave almost blowing her off her hand-holds, her eyes springing open – to see the mirror shattered and smoking, scorch-marks of a detonation all over the reflective surface as the GF lifted it's stump to brush across the mirror in obvious shock, as if trying to rub something out of it's eyes.

Looking down in amazement, Quistis blinked in utter surprise at what she saw.

Major Almasy lowered the Stinger Missile Launcher, the smoking tube resting on his shoulder having just launched its Surface-To-Air missile at the monster – and with destructive results.

He'd been fighting with the rifles and handguns, even tossing a few grenades at the monster's feet, but had been feeling stupid the entire time. Sure, his bullets hit all their marks – but they did nothing, pinging off the armour with no effect, even ricocheting off the mirrored faceplate with no results. He'd been wishing for a rocket-propelled grenade for the entire time – and his prayers had been answered when he'd watched Irvine fly away from the blowback of his weapon – and spied a USMC trunk, it's metal warped and twisted, lying in a small crater not a few meters away.

It was a Stinger Launcher, obviously blown out of one of the Abrams or APCs that had been sent into battle, and had been thrown this far into the battleground. Little miracles…

Seeing that the monster still hadn't fallen, the Major grimaced and ripped the tube from the stock, reducing the weapon to little more then a trigger and a shoulder-rest, and reached down to the open trunk to pull out another tube, slipping it into the stock and locking it into place, the Stinger's aiming module springing into life – before he lifted the weapon back onto his shoulder and aimed high, looking through the aiming module and at the target he'd 'painted' on the monster's head a moment before with a Laser Aiming Module, locking the LAM onto the Stinger to make doubly-sure it would fly true.

The monster was rocking to and fro, the first missile having seriously done some damage to it's 'eye', and getting a steady shot wasn't easy – but then, he didn't need the gigantic thing to stand still. It was moving towards him, however, it's feet slamming into the ground and making the earth tremble causing him to almost lose his footing – but he kept his resolve, fighting desperately to stay rigid. Waving the Stinger with the monster's rocks, keeping his sights firmly locked onto the monster's mirror as it stepped closer and closer, it's boots becoming dangerously close, he waited – before hearing a dull buzzing noise, the Stinger confirming a lock-on.

He pulled the trigger, the tube releasing a long white missile, which flew up to the monster's head with a tail of white-hot flame.

Quistis could not believe her eyes. Seifer was rescuing her. Her Seifer was trying to save her. 

He was wearing strange clothes…and he was using a very strange weapon…but he was trying to save her.

She was drunk in pain and terror, unable to speak or cry out, only able to watch in sheer awe as the missile flew up towards Testu-ko's head, about to collide with the mirror and detonate once more…

…Before the monster swerved awkwardly to the left, the long white missile with it's blazing tail of fire flying right past it!!

Quistis cried out in desperation then, looking down at Seifer and wishing he would not just stand there and reload the strange weapon – before her ride rocked violently once more, pitching forward this time. She looked up at the monster's head, feeling the shockwave rocking over her body again – and gasping.

The vapour trail of the missile showed it's path past the monster's head – and it's curve back, swinging around to fly right into the back of it's head!! _Magic!!_ Quistis thought dizzily.

Testu-ko's path forward had no sheath to protect it this time, and it fell forward to the ground, Quistis' blond hair ruffling in the harsh red dusty wind as she braced herself weakly for the crash – which came very abruptly, sending her to the floor, her legs peeling off the armour and going with her.

Picking himself up off the ground from the shockwave of the halted descent of Testu-ko, Major Almasy shook his head groggily and stumbled about a bit, trying to figure out what had just happened – before being spun off his legs by a flash of red and white.

Seifer raced up to the fallen monster as it put out its good arm and it's stump and lifted itself off the ground slightly, trying to push itself to it's feet. His body burned with the magic of a Haste, every muscle jumping as his body moved at sub-sonic speeds, covering the mile he'd just flown in less then a few seconds – to leap at the monster's throat, the Hyperion flying up with him – to stab deep into the soft flesh beneath the cracked armour-plating, purple blood spraying down onto Seifer as he severed an artery, the Hyperion lodged deep into the monster's throat.

Opening his mouth and screaming out a scream that would've chilled anybody within ear-shot, Seifer pulled Hyperion out of the wound, more blood spilling forth to drench him – before stabbing it back into the throat – then ripping it out – then stabbing it back in, the Hyperion flashing silver as Seifer's arms flew up and back, the gunblade firing as it was slammed up and then ripped out, the bullets blowing great chunks out the back of the monsters neck, the smoking brass being ejected and flying off to tinkle to the ground, fifteen rounds in all, fifteen great holes in the back of the monster's thick neck with over thirty stab-wounds around the wide throat.

The GF tried to breath – before Seifer crouched and leapt, his Hyperion flashing up and out – before he landed atop the massive creature's back, covered in purple blood, his breathing erratic, his eyes wide and white beneath the purple liquid caked on his face, the Hyperion held out wide from his body, his arm stretched taught, the barrel of the gunblade still smoking…

…Before the GF's neck simply fell from the body, slipping off the shoulders, the monster's great corpse going limp.

_Seifer had decapitated it in one strike!!_

Zell and Squall moved forward slowly, trying to keep their composure in their own ways. Here they were – the two people so dear and also so hated between them. Azel – killing Zell, and causing Squall so much grief – and the Queen, looking like a friend and a lover, but being something so opposite to those feelings. The girls moved behind them, keeping up easy, ever ready. 

Azel was, as usual, dressed in his Orihalcon armour, the armour shining brightly in the purple light of the activated Arch, following the curves of his body so easily, showing off the taut muscle, so similar to Zell's own body. Angel and Dee could not help but gasp at the sight – indeed, if they were put side-by-side, they would not be easily told apart. Even the tattoos were the same, right down to the curve of the black mark as it licked over Zell's cheek.

"It's not me…" Zell whispered, not taking his eyes off Azel, his Uber Ehrgiez Gauntlets held at the ready. "He may look like me but he'd not. So stay sharp."

"R-right…" Angel whispered back, fighting back the awe and focusing.

"Welcome to the final chapter, SeeDs." The Queen called with an even smile, stepping forward and brushing a lick of raven-black hair from her eyes. "So good for you to finally arrive."

Rinoa fought the _need_, the _want_, the _enticement_ of throwing herself at this disgusting rendition of herself – but also felt the fear of having to fight _another_ Sorceress, this one so much more powerful then anything they'd faced before, supposedly more powerful then _herself._ Keeping her hands balled tightly at her sides and following right behind Squall, so close her chest touched his back, she whispered into his ear, her voice wavering between fear and rage. "Just tell me we're almost there…"

"We're almost there. And when this is all done," Squall muttered, keeping the LionHeart firmly between him, her and the Queen, "I'll take you on the best vacation you've ever been on."

"…Better then WinHill?"

"Yes. We'll go…sailing. On the White SeeD Ship. Anywhere you want."

Rinoa squealed happily behind Squall, which made him smile – she was so easily distracted…

…But then he saw the look in the Queen's eyes as they were fixed upon him and Rinoa. Her eyes were cold, viciously cold, beyond the revenge of her dead Knight – almost a wanting, lustful gaze mixed with seething contempt and hatred. _Where…where have I seen that look before…_He thought.

Azel stepped forward, cracking his knuckles beneath his armoured hands, smirking at Zell as he moved into the light of the Arch. "My Gods…you are one tough son-of-a-bitch to kill."

"I told you before – I aim to please." Zell retorted.

"Of course. I welcome you. We'll have to see how much you've advanced in the month you've been…incapacitated."

"You'll see."

Dee stepped forward, her face twisted into a confident smirk as she brushed past Zell and stabbed her finger at Azel. "You think you can take on my father? He'll wipe the floor with you, you bastard! You're not even half the dude my father is, you ass-wipe!" She shouted – before Angel grabbed her and pulled her back, shushing her.

Azel's grin grew wider. "That's your daughter, huh?" His eyes widened slightly, filled with a sadistic light. "She's got our temper."

Zell kept his eyes on Azel – but was cursing inwardly. He saw the look in Azel's eyes and recognised it instantly – _opportunity._ "Angel – get Dee and yourself away from here! Hide in the stacks! Go, now!!" Zell shouted, waving his arm at them to make them shy away.

Angel shook her head firmly. "No! We're seeing this through to the end, with you!"

Azel's smirk remained on his face but he did not advance any further, the light from the Arch behind him gleaming off his armour – he simply stepped back, moving to stand beside his queen. Queen Rinoa hadn't moved from her spot, her hands balled by her sides, hidden within her flowing purple robe. Her eyes were fixated on Rinoa and Squall, flitting between the two, the rage, the enmity she felt for the two of them palatable in the air. As she opened her mouth to speak it was like her melodious voice was filled with needles of ice that stabbed deep into the SeeD's ears. "This is it – no running. No chances. I will do what I have to do and then everything will be as it should be."

"Bull." Zell spat, cracking his neck to the side. "We've lost way too many people to let you win, bitch. You are so dead you don't even know it."

The cruel twist of her lips made Squall blink as she smiled. "You think so?"

Suddenly she raised her hand, placing it on Azel's shoulder, resting her fingers lightly on the shining armour – before his body began to shake and shudder, violently twitching as the Queen's hand glowed with a dark purple light, his body doubling over with a cry as some type of magic filled his entire being, flowing through his muscles and organs, twisting into his brain and behind his eyes…

…Before Queen Heartilly removed her hand, placing it back within the folds of her skirt and stepping back, allowing Azel some space.

Zell felt his breathing quicken as he watched his double twitch erratically, the purple glow now all over his body. It was obviously a magical augmentation of some kind, but Zell couldn't tell how it would help Azel in any way. He was supposedly stronger then Zell now anyways – right?

Unless there's something we've missed…Zell thought as he watched Azel drop to a knee, unable to support himself any longer, his fists pressed into the floor of the dais as he placed his head to the floor, his helmet clattering away from him to land beside Zell's foot… 

Before his twitching suddenly subsided, stopping as suddenly as it had begun, the purple light receding. Azel's body heaved, the sound of his breathing clear on top of the bubbling sound emitting from the Arch, his head still hanging as he pushed himself to his feet…and lifted his head, revealing his eyes. Gone were the baby-blue irises – instead both eyes emitted a fierce purple glow, the light covering his face as he twisted his head to one side, the sound of his neck cracking echoing throughout the gigantic cave as he moved his skull around on the base of his spine, letting out a slow, almost pleasurable sigh.

"What a rush…" He whispered, closing his eyes and drinking in the power that flowed through his entire body.

The Queen began to step back, her voice carrying over the sounds coming from the Arch, pointing at the SeeDs, and stabbing her finger at them as she spoke. "His strength, speed and stamina have been increased ten-fold! This is where you die!"

Seifer's eyes were wide as his breathing kept his chest rising and falling, almost hyperventilating as the massive body of Testu-ko began to slowly dissipate beneath him, causing him to stumble to the corpse-filled ground, falling unceremoniously to the ground with little resistance. The red fire of Haste slowly licked off his body, allowing his breathing and heart rate to return to normal.

Major Almasy picked himself up and groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "…Anybody get the number of that bus?" He muttered, having been bowled over by a Hasted Seifer, before picking himself up – and gasping at the sight of Quistis lying beside him.

"Oh Jesus…oh God…MEDIC!!" He screamed, running over to the woman and falling to her side. Her legs looked like limp pieces of meat and it was obvious to the Major that she was in a great deal of pain. "MEDIC! I NEED A MEDIC OVER HERE!!"

But there were none. All the personnel had retreated, as ordered, to the other side of the battlefield during the battle with the GF. It would take a good fifteen minutes to get a decent medic over to them in time…and, judging by her wounds, Almasy didn't think she had that much time left.

Coughing a little, Quistis turned her blue eyes up to Almasy, her beautiful face etched in pain as she smiled at him. "…Did you…see me fight…my love?"

Almasy blinked, looking down at her. _What the hell is she talking about?_ "Yeah, yeah, of course I did…" He whispered to her, lifting her head so she could look at him better.

She smiled a great smile. "…Are you…proud?"

"Very."

Azel turned to see Seifer, his entire body covered in blood and muck, standing by her side, looking down at her, his Hyperion held loosely in his hand. "I'm very proud in you, Quistis." He said quietly, the world around them suddenly deathly silent except for the sound of the wind and the ruffle of Seifer's coat.

Quistis didn't get it. She was seeing double now? The pain was excruciating…she was obviously going into shock. She welcomed it. "…I saw you fighting…I didn't see the big deal…" She said with a smile – before coughing again.

"Shut up! Save your strength!" Almasy almost shouted to her, looking up at Seifer with wide eyes. "Well?! Do something!!"

Seifer looked back at the Major blankly, his cold blue eyes as dead as the bodies surrounding them. "I'm out of cure magic. And casting a Life on her would be pointless now, since she's dead."

"You're just going to let her die?!"

"It wouldn't be the first time."

Quistis smirked suddenly with a giggle, letting her head go limp. "…Debating with yourself…as always…" She whispered – before she giggled again. "Oh look! Now I'm seeing triple…"

Seifer's eyes went wide as he span to see the Heart Seifer lunging towards him, his gunblade aiming directly for Seifer's back as Seifer desperately threw himself out of the way – and shouted in anger as the Heart's gunblade went off, hitting the Hyperion in the trigger and destroying the handle, rendering the weapon useless.

Slapping the Heart weapon to one side, the SeeD smashed his fist into his face, sending the Heart reeling back, stumbling over the bodies – then finding his footing again. Obviously still dazed from drawing such a powerful GF, the Heart shook his head to clear it of the chocobos dancing over his vision – before gripping his gunblade with both hands and charging again, screaming out wildly –

Major Almasy's Desert Eagle reported loudly, .50 calibre bullets punching into the double's chest and blowing great chunks out of it, the Heart flying back from the sheer force of the bullets as the Major he stood from his crouched drawing position and stepped over Quistis, a bullet for each step as he walked right up to the Heart and put fourteen pieces of lead into his body. Watching it slump to the ground, Almasy ejected the spent clip from his DE and slammed in another one, letting the slide hit home with a 'ka-chik!' – before putting three more rounds into the man's head, blowing it to pieces. Then putting the rest of the clip into the body, just for good measure.

Popping the clip from the heavy handgun the Major slide another one in as he walked back to Seifer, his face blank as he let the slide slam home with a 'ka-chik!'. "That's how we settle a 'dispute' back home." He muttered to the SeeD.

Seifer smirked at him, before kneeling down beside Quistis, picking her up in his arms. "She's fallen unconscious." He muttered, cradling her in his arms. "We'd better move if we want to get her legs healed."

"Okay guys, this is what we do…" Squall muttered, turning his body slightly to look at them all better, his sword held up towards the glowing Azel – before the sword was suddenly sent skittering from his hands and the Orihalcon elbow of the Heart warrior slammed into Squall's chest. The attack was so sudden, so brutal, that the look of surprise was etched on his face as his body was thrown back away from his attack into a stack, the massive shelving buckling under the sudden impact and collapsing around the SeeD Commander.

Rinoa didn't even have time to call out as Azel span on his heel, the back of his fist slashing across her face and sending her spinning to the ground, skittering across it to slam into the side of the massive cavern, her trip lasting less then a few seconds and coming to an abrupt end.

Angel had enough time to put up an arm as Azel moved towards her like lightening, her hand coming up to shield her chest – before the Heart span to the floor, swiping her feet out from underneath her. Her body twisted to the side in mid air, the visage of shock on her face as her ponytail flew out behind her – before Azel span through with his first attack, moving to his feet – and swinging his fist forward, smashing it straight into her face, causing her body to flip around through the air down the middle walkway through the stacks, her body tumbling and rolling as it hit the floor, rolling to a stop.

Dee simply tried to escape, jumping straight up into the air with the intention of grabbing onto one of the stalagmites hanging from the cavern's ceiling – but was halted mid-jump by a metal-covered glove. She didn't even have time to eep as Azel twisted his body around and swung her down, her lithe form slamming into the stone floor, the stone crushing under the force of her impact, leaving her in a Dee-shaped crater as Azel turned and threw himself to Zell…

…To have his fist suddenly arrested, Zell's hands slamming into the stomach-punch, the momentum of his Doppel making him skid down the middle path of the stacks, his boots squealing in protest as he grit his teeth with the exertion, smirking as they both came to a stop to look up at Azel with a victorious gleam in his eyes – before Azel suddenly leapt up, twisted his body to slam his knee into Zell's cheek, the blow spinning Azel out of Zell's grip and causing Zell to stumble off into the stacks, landing on his head and rolling across the floor…

To flip to his feet – and block a left hook, a right hook, a straight jab to the sternum, a kidney punch, two left jabs and a roundhouse kick – before a straight-kick slammed into his chest, blowing him off his feet and onto his back, flying across the floor to slam into a shelf, the contents shaking on their perches precariously as the sound of Zell's stocky body hitting steel reverberated throughout the cavern.

Groaning, Zell rolled to his stomach, rising to his hands and knees to clutch his chest, tears in his eyes as he tried to breath. _He's broken it!_ His mind screamed as he gasped like a beached fish – before a hand grabbed his short-blond hair and pulled him from gravities grasp to fly up into the air, skidding off one stack and ricocheting off another to slam into a cavern wall, his body crunching into the wall and causing the entire cave to shudder.

Pulling his head from the crater, Zell ripped his arms clear too – before he fell back the two stories he'd flown straight to the floor, hitting the ground with a grunt. _So fast…_He thought to himself, rolling to his hands and knees again, gulping in some air, trying to regain himself…

Movement to the right! 

Gritting his teeth, Zell suddenly pushed himself off the ground as Azel's boot slammed into the stone where Zell's head had just been, Zell's body spinning through the air from the sudden surge of strength only adrenaline supplied – before twisting his body one last time to slash his hand out, palm up, fingers splayed – to douse the area where he'd just been with Firaga, the flames shooting from his hand in a magical burst as he sailed through the air –

To have his hand smashed aside from a glove within the flames, Azel literally running out of the blazing inferno that Zell had just created – to jump up and slam his knee into Zell's airborne stomach, the Heart's arms lifting high into the air as Zell's body buckled under the sudden and vicious attack – to smash his fists into Zell's back as he removed the knee, the king-hit sending Zell rocketing to the ground so fast he bounced as he hit the stone.

Rolling over to spit out some blood, Zell gasped – before receiving two metal boots to the guts, Azel's glowing visage sneering down at him as he pin-dived from his attack straight into the supine Zell.

"How's that feel?" Azel growled with a grin – before a lithe shape suddenly flew from behind him to slam into his back, Dee's athletic body blowing her father's Doppel off him and _through_ a stack, the massive shelf full of stone monuments creaking back – to slam into the next one, then the next one, then the next one – before the entire block of shelves were felled to the ground in a dominos effect, Azel's body buried under the rubble.

"Daddy…" Dee whispered, kneeling beside him to help him sit up, Zell's body wracked with pain as he coughed up a little blood, spitting it from his mouth and wiping his lips.

"Thanks Dee…" He grunted, getting to his feet a little uneasily – but holding fast, his breathing heavy but his stance sure. He felt like someone had taken a steel girder and smashed him around with it. _How can someone be that strong and that fast at the same time?!_ His mind screamed. _It's impossible!!_

As soon as he'd managed to find his footing, however, the stack which Azel went through was suddenly knocked back onto it's foundations – before rocking forward, sailing straight down to crush Dee and Zell!!

The Dincht's moved fast, Zell's fist sailing up as Dee's leg did the same – and cut their sections of shelving in half from the power of their attacks, the metal buckling and crunching together before flying right over them, hitting the floor with a resounding boom, dust flying in all directions – before Azel was in their faces once more.

Going straight for Zell, Azel's left fist slashed out once more – to be captured by Zell, now prepared for anything, Zell's right hand grasping the fist and spinning around so their backs were touching – to slam his left elbow into Azel's head, sending the glowing Doppel staggering forward as Zell let go of his hand – right into Dee's pile-driver, her body springing up to thrust her legs out, her feet smashing into Azel's face and sending him flying back – straight into Zell again, the SeeD falling backwards to both his hands as he swung his legs up to smash them into Azel's side, the Heart sent flying straight towards the next stacks behind them –

- Before Angel suddenly leapt over the stacks to ram her elbow into the flying man's back, the force of her attack crunching Azel into the ground before he hit the stacks before flipping off him – and allowing Rinoa to blow the stacks down with a Aero, the powerful gust of wind sending the entire block of stacks onto his body, his armoured body disappearing beneath the shelves of metal, the floor shattering under the introduction to the sudden weight.

Rolling with his attack, Zell jumped to his feet, a grin on his face as he began to hop from foot to foot, brushing the blood from his nose with the swipe of a thumb. "Wheyhey! Teamwork!"

Dee giggled – before crying out as the shelves moved suddenly, shifting to one side slightly – before being lifted up, bits of metal falling off the pile of rubble as Azel stood from his crater, his teeth bared as a cut on his forehead bled crimson, one arm holding the pile of rubble suspended above his body as he shook his head, droplets of blood flicking out to splatter into the crater beneath him.

Shouting out in frustration, Angel leapt forward – to be backhanded away, her body sailing past Zell and Dee as the two flew towards the now off-guard Azel to smash their fist and foot respectively into him, his body flying back out from beneath the suspended rubble, the massed of metal and stone beginning to crumble down – before hanging in mid-air by an invisible force.

Rinoa.

Dee's attack had left her underneath the levitating rubble, and looking up to see Rinoa holding her hands out and trembling violently, she scrambled out from beneath it – before it suddenly smashed down to the floor with a resonating boom.

Zell kept up with his attacks, blasting Azel from beneath the rubble and continually pounding him, his Uber Ehrgiez Gauntlets flashing wildly in the poor light as his fists pummelled Azel's stomach, Azel's body rocking with each shocking blow before Zell pulled his fist back and launched it forward, his fist screaming through the dusty atmosphere – to be caught by Azel's hand, the Doppel suddenly grabbing Zell's hand and spinning it around, twisting Zell off his feet to the floor, Azel's hand still grasping Zell's wrist, pulling the fist-fighter's arm up at an unnatural angle as he lifted his foot, intending to stamp down on Zell's head…

Before spinning, lifting his free hand to block Angel's kick, continuing the block to grasp her foot and pull her from her footing, swinging her around – to slap her into an advancing Dee, the girl and her 'mother' smashing into each other in mid-air and skittering away from Azel and Zell – as Zell suddenly span on the ground, twisting his arm back into a usable position and cutting Azel's legs out from underneath him, his double dropping to the ground beside him – before Zell was on top of him, his arm curling around his neck and applying pressure, his bulging bicep pressing right into Azel's wind-pipe, cutting off his air supply and causing him to start choking.

Scrabbling for purchase, Azel managed to slip his glowing hand up into the crook of Zell's elbow, slowly pulling the SeeD's arm away from his throat, his teeth gritted from the effort – before he suddenly thrust his head back, the back of his skull slamming into Zell's face and causing him to cry out, his pressure relaxing – and allowing Azel to thrust himself away, jumping to his feet and turning to face Zell…

As Rinoa's Meltdown suddenly blew him off his feet, his body caught off guard as the powerful magic blew him straight through the rows of shelves they were fighting amongst, the metal shelves and the stone monuments contained therein becoming obliterated by the sheer power of the magical beam of energy, the beam screaming it's power and causing the walls to shake, rocks crumbling from the ceiling and sailing down to shatter on the floor.

The battle was intense. Ruthless. Everybody was focused on Azel. He was only the entrée before the big meal – if they could take him out as quickly as possible, they still had a chance…albeit a slim chance.

Squall opened his eyes groggily, his vision blurred. It was like he was looking at the world through glasses as thick as his wrist – everything was a fuzzy, random blot of dark colour swimming through the sharp shards of light being emitted from the fixtures all around the cavern.

His mind tried to re-figure itself, put itself back together. His grey eyes narrowed as he tried to think, having to put physical effort into the process. _Cavern…trapped…Queen…Azel…power-up magic…_

Someone suddenly called his name to him softly, a blob of colour kneeling before him. "…qual…ual…Aq…" Her voice sounded like it was from far, far away, being spoken through a pillow – muffled almost to the point that he could not understand. But he knew. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew.

_…Rinoa…_

He lifted his hand to grasp Rinoa's slim shoulder, his gloved hand squeezing it gently. "Azel…he surprised me…knocked me out…" He mumbled, still slightly incoherent for the moment. Placing his hand on the stack that had collapsed on top of him, he pulled himself out from beneath the shelving, groaning as he felt his right leg shoot pain signals into his brain. "…Oh Hyne…" He gasped, falling back into Rinoa's arms.

He closed his eyes then as he felt her soothing touch on his brow, stroking his hair as his head lay in her lap, feeling her revitalising magic flow through him, the leg's severed muscle knitting together, the shattered bone reforming, the torn skin pulling itself back into shape. His fugue also began to melt away with the feeling of the Curaga, his grogginess dissipating as his body was mended.

Opening his eyes, he smiled up to the brown eyes smiling back down to him, lifting his hand to brush his fingers gently along the beautiful chin…

"Just lay still, Aqual." The Queen whispered softly as he stroked her chin, pulling the Well to their side and placing her hand on the lid. "You'll be alright in no time…"

Squall could do nothing but widen his eyes in shock as she opened the Well, the sudden revelation becoming known to him in his cured state…

…But by then it was too late.

Suddenly leaping forward, Zell slashed his fists down on Azel's head, the Heart leaning his head to one side to allow the attack to slam down onto his shoulder, his teeth bared as the pain shot through the metallic armour – but grinning as he slammed an uppercut into Zell's face, knocking him flying back into the air – only to be replaced by Dee's whirling body, her hands and feet stabbing and swinging wildly, keeping the Heart on his toes as he ducked, dodged, manoeuvred and slapped aside each and every one.

Everything the SeeDs threw at the man seemed fruitless. Even Rinoa's Meltdown had seemed ineffective – having been blasted into the wall, Azel had simply pulled himself out and picked up a piece of the stone floor, throwing it at her with the speed of a bullet, the Sorceress only barely able to throw up a Protect at the last minute.

In fact, the only people seeming to hold their own against the fighting machine was Dee and Zell – Rinoa kept back, healing periodically and throwing the occasional magic his way, and Angel simply didn't have what it took to cut it, and it showed.

Her movements had become sluggish within the last few minutes of the fight, her swings going wild and easily being countered or dodged by the Heart. Indeed, he didn't even seem to pay much attention to her – only if Dee, Zell and Angel all fought together against the man did he seem to seriously retaliate against any of her fatigued attacks, and then it was a simple kick to the ribs or punch to the face to send her sprawling to the floor for another minute of wheezing.

Zell burned with rage every time Azel hit either Dee or Angel – but was also relieved the Heart saw his girlfriend as a waste of his energy. It meant Zell would be able to concentrate on defeating his opponent without having to worry about her being hurt – that is, until she got back up and threw herself at him again.

_She knows she can't fight him…so why is she trying?!_ His mind screamed as he stepped forward into Azel's thrusting fist to spin around it and slam his elbow into the man's stomach before Dee jumped up to ram her knee into the back of his neck, causing the Heart to double over – before springing back upright and back flip, taking Dee down by jumping on top of her as she landed and upper-cutting Zell away from him to slam into some more shelves, this one full of books which rained down around the SeeD.

He had little to no time to speak – taking time out to talk meant revealing a brief moment of weakness that Azel would exploit to it's fullest potential – just like he had done against Squall at the start…

_Squall._

Zell looked up through the rubble in which they had created during the fight, searching for Squall's body – before suddenly having Angel thrown into him, her body crashing into his, the sudden impact causing pain to explode throughout his body – as well as sending the two of them through the shelves once more, exiting from the back in an explosion of ancient, yellowed pages and dog-eared hard-back covers – to ram into the elevator platform where they had first entered this hell, the stone plateau seeming to rock along with the rest of the cavern from their sudden and abrupt stop.

His breathing heavy, Zell looked up to see Dee grappling with Azel, the Doppel laughing as the smaller girl seemed to size him up – before ramming her fist into his stomach and upper-cutting him so hard he rocked on his feet – before bringing a chop down to her shoulder and smashing a right-hook into her chin, knocking her to her knees then to the ground. Zell looked down at Angel – blissfully unconscious now – and pulled her off him gingerly, placing her down gently, trying to move quickly yet tenderly.

She looked like she had been through hell. The constant Cures had taken their toll on her body, the magic not affecting her as well as it should have been – her full lips were split, her soft white skin bruised and bloody, her SeeD Uniform in tatters. Her left arm also lay at an unnatural angle – it had been broken for a while, yet she had kept on fighting.

"Why…" Zell whispered, pulling her ponytail from her face and brushing a few loose locks from it as well, the red dust caking her body as much as the blood did her face.

It was then that she opened her eyes, her big beautiful eyes, and smiled up to Zell. "…Nobody hurts my babies…" She whispered – before falling back, unconscious once more.

_Nobody hurts my babies._

Zell stood up quickly, looking back to see the glowing Azel holding Dee up by the throat, her legs feebly kicking at his torso as he began to choke her, her fingers scrabbling at his hand clutching her neck, her face beginning to turn blue as her pretty mouth opened and closed like a gaping fish…

Zell ran forward quickly, yelling as he pulled his fist back and suddenly thrust himself forward with it, the sheer force of the launching attack propelling him right off the ground and towards Azel like a missile intended on it's target – before Azel suddenly turned, his free hand reaching out beyond the fist and grabbing Zell's face, pushing him back with such force as to cause him to roll head-over-heels backwards to slam into the wall next to Angel again.

_Dammit…He's too strong…_ Zell thought feebly, slumping forward from his seated position. His body was also wracked with injuries, cuts and gashes lacing his body, his clothes a shredded mess. _…Too fast…too strong…_

_Giving up so easily?_ A dark voice whispered in the back of his head. _C'mon. Just because he cut your head off last time doesn't mean you should give up now. Just because he beat you utterly and completely last time doesn't mean he's going to now._

_Come on, Zell…_ A silent voice murmured in the back of his head. _You have all the power you'll ever need to beat him. He's got to have a weakness – nobody is invincible._

Zell raised his head slowly, sniffing some blood back up into his nose as he watched Dee's face turn more blue, her scrabbling defence growing weaker, her kicks lessening in power, Zell's own face copied in a sneered look as it watched her life drain slowly from her body, the purple glow glinting off his armour ever more now, the metal Orihalcon not having one scratch, one dent, one mark on it's shining surface…

_The armour, human._ A fiery whisper burned in the back of Zell's head, causing his heavy lidded eyes to spring open.

Suddenly she raised her hand, placing it on Azel's shoulder, resting her fingers lightly on the shining armour – before his body began to shake and shudder, violently twitching as the Queen's hand glowed with a dark purple light, his body doubling over with a cry as some type of magic filled his entire being, flowing through his muscles and organs, twisting into his brain and behind his eyes…

Zell had thought that she had cast the magic on Azel himself…when in actuality it had been the _Orihalcon_ she had been casting magic onto, strengthening, making supple, allowing Azel complete movement and an uncanny ability to dodge and weave through even the most intricate attacks, whilst being able to sustain extreme damage without harming the wearer.

His breathing was heavier now as adrenaline pumped through his system, his eyes flitting around – to see her!!

Rinoa, having been slapped aside a while ago, picked herself up from a pile of rocks, whimpering slightly as she held her bleeding mouth, tears pricking her eyes as the pain began to become unbearable. _Where are you, Squall?_ She telepathically whispered feebly. _You need to protect me…you're my Knight…why cant I feel you?_

The only real answer would be if he were dead. Which meant she needed to find his body to revive him. But she couldn't desert her friends to be left to the mercy of this monstrous copy…and at the same time she could not survive under the constant barrage of attacks the other seemed able to put up with. She'd only survived the attack so far through use of Protects – she was just thankful he hadn't used any magic yet…

_Listen to yourself! _She chided mentally. _You're a Sorceress! He's a peon compared to your power!!_

But if she used her Angel abilities within the cavern, the tons upon tons of rock above them would collapse upon them, crushing and burying them all. Even her power could not save them all under those extreme circumstances…

It was hopeless. There was no hope. They were fighting a losing battle, and they had not even come against the Queen yet…

Sniffling, tears welling in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks as she looked up to see Dee being held up by the monster, she raised her hands slowly, her hands shaking as she prepared to cast some magic, anything to distract the demon just long enough for it to come after her. At least then the girl would survive…

"Wait, Rinoa!!"

Rinoa's eyes suddenly went wide as she watched Zell race up to Azel, his feet smashing into the ground as the fiery red of a Haste burned around his body – to suddenly crash-tackle the Heart off his feet, dropping the gasping Dee to the floor upon reflex as the two Zell's rolled across the ground, through the rubble of the Angel Artefacts.

Zell's Haste allowed him to divert even Azel's awesome speed just enough to get the drop on him, taking the both of them down and rolling through the debris – to have Zell come out on top, his hands wrapped around the Heart's neck, his thumbs pressing into his windpipe, trying to crush it with his gauntlets.

Azel's face was going beet-red, his arms pinned under the glowing-red Zell's legs. He was literally lifting the stocky SeeD off the ground with his arms – but because of Zell's position, he had no real purchase to grab a hold of.

Zell's finger dug straight into Azel's neck, twisting under the Orihalcon armour to grasp around the Adam's apple and pinch, trying to squeeze the voice box into a tiny mush of meat within his neck…

Realising what Zell was trying to do, Azel lifted his entire body up suddenly, rocking Zell enough with the sudden jolt that his hands were thrown from his neck and his body was lifted into the air – which was enough time for Azel to move like greased lightening, his hands slashing up to grab Zell's lapels and smash his head into Zell's face, the head-butt ending with a sickening crunch and launching Zell off Azel's body, flailing back as Azel swung his legs up and flipped to his feet, coming up with a confident sneer on his face, the tattoo on his face twisting with the sneer, seeming to make him seem even more evil…

Before the sneer was wiped off his face as the Orihalcon covering his torso went limp without warning, the metal sliding off his body and falling to the floor with a wet plop…as well as the glow of the armour, the purple light fading from his body as quickly as the loose substance sluiced from his body.

"Now!!" Zell screamed desperately from his position on the ground on his back, looking back to Rinoa as she suddenly sprang to her feet, her hands blazing as Azel looked up to her with shock in his eyes…

The Flare lit up the entire cavern, every single shadow reduced to nothingness as everything was bathed in red light. The rubble underneath the flaming blaze of paramagic was reduced to sloppy red goo, rock and metal melting alike melting under the extreme heat, puddles bubbling briefly before turning to steam, and the steam to vapour, then the vapour to nothingness. The brunt of the massive fiery ball of flame bore down upon Azel quickly, the Heart having little time to react – but using that time well, as he rolled forward, towards the flaming mess – and scooping up Zell in the process, holding the SeeD out before him as the flames bored down on the both of them.

"If I die, SeeD…" Azel screamed over the roar of the flames into Zell's ear as Zell watched in terror as the flames bore down on the both of them, "You do too!!"

There was no time. No time whatsoever. Even without the power boost, Azel was too strong for Zell in his current, weakened condition, the Orihalcon armour having taken all the damage the SeeDs had inflicted on the Heart.

And so Zell and Azel were engulfed in searing flames, twin screams being muffled by the ear-splitting roar of the Flare as it obliterated everything in sight…

Quistis opened her eyes slowly to look up at Seifer sitting beside her, his body and ruined Hyperion covered in purple blood. His spiky blond hair was matted in it, the white coat with the red cross in the chest now a purple coat with a red cross in the chest. He sat beside her in what seemed like a metal chamber, his head bowed, his hands hugging the ruined weapon to his chest. The trigger and handle had been shot off – it was nothing more then a blade now.

Quistis moved to sit up – before Seifer put out his hand, placing it on her shoulder. "Wait." He muttered, his voice as cold as usual. "It will take a while for the Full-Life to settle into your body."

She nodded slowly before making herself lie back down on the cot. Her lilted voice managed to speak, barely a whisper, but she knew he could hear her. "…Where are we?"

"An Earth transport. We managed to get you back here to get you healed."

"…What about…the war?" She asked softly, blinking in dull shock as it slowly sank in.

There was no sound. No battle cries, no death rattles, no gunshots or cannon booms, no singing swords or cracking bones or shattering clay. Everything was deathly quiet – indeed, it seemed almost…peaceful.

His voice was dull as he explained to her. How after the Testu-Ko was felled and the Heart-Seifer was killed, the Universals moved back out into the battlefield – to be met with emptiness. Every single Heart soldier still able to move had retreated, and had retreated fast. They were all now holed up within their base, fortifying their positions for a last stand.

"Normally we'd just rush in like we've been doing so far…but…" Seifer sighed softly, looking away. "We haven't had any contact from Squall or Selphie. The Ragnarok's beacon fell off the screen a while ago, when it was fighting the Heart copies…and Squall's team has also fallen off radar. All we know is that they're within the Heart Base…" He lifted his hand to rub the bridge of his nose. "Along with about two million Heart soldiers, the Queen and Azel."

Quistis blinked, biting her bottom lip. The situation looked more then grim for Squall and the others. "…Then what's the plan?" She asked softly.

He looked down to her then, his cold blue eyes filled with something they had never been filled with before – sadness. "The Earth delegates have just revealed their 'trump card'. Something their soldiers call a 'nuke' – it sounds like it makes an Ultima look like a drop in the ocean."

Quistis frowned. "…And what are they going to do with tha – "

"If we don't hear anything from Squall and the others in the next hour, they're going to launch three and wipe the base from the planet. We've already got our soldiers moving out, and – "

"Wait a moment! What about Squall?! Zell?? We can't leave them!"

"It's been decided, Quistis. It was decided before we entered the portal."

"What about Rinoa?! If she dies we might never be able to get back home!"

Seifer's sad gaze was locked onto Quistis' shocked face, telling her the answer without words.

Better they be sacrificed then allow such grave evil to run rampart throughout the known universes.

"…I…I cant believe this…" Quistis whispered, rolling over in her cot painfully and drawing the small blanket around her tightly, trembling on the tiny bed.

Seifer watched her roll over before bowing his head once more – before his body rocked as the transport began to roll out.

Back in the cavern, Rinoa's hands remained steadfast, locked totally on where Azel had just been, the flames slashing out of her hands obliterating everything in sight, the Flare annihilating everything within her line of sight with extraordinarily good results – before hitting Azel as he lifted up Zell!!

Keeping the paramagic going, unable to stop the cast now, Rinoa could only groan in protest as the magic bore down on the two men – before hitting them, slamming into their bodies and engulfing them both in the flaming, searing heat.

_Zell, no!!_ Rinoa thought as she tried to think of a way to stop it…but it was no use. As soon as the magic was cast, there was no avenue except to release the paramagical build-up. She could not move the beam of fire out of the way either – blowing out the roof might cause a cave-in, where keeping it on it's current trajectory would only make the cavern slightly bigger.

Suddenly hearing a cackled laugh behind her, Rinoa turned her head – to see the Queen standing before the glowing Arch, laughing hysterically as Rinoa obliterated both Zell and Azel, her laughter full of mocking triumph.

Gritting her teeth, anger and rage beginning to poison her mind, Rinoa's slender arms revealed their muscle as she fought against the sheer power she had within herself, trying desperately to pull her hands apart – before she ripped them out, her arms flinging wide as the Flare finally broke off and flew forward into the hole it had bore into the wall of the cavern…before a resounding boom rocked the massive cave, rocks and stalactites shooting down from the ceiling to pierce the now-soft and smoking ground as a burst of flame followed a powerful shockwave as they ejected themselves from the opening of the new cave, flashing through the cavern and forcing everybody to the ground.

Picking herself up from where she'd thrown herself, the Queen laughed again, looking over the destruction before her.

The fight between the SeeDs and Azel had rendered the stacks un-useable, almost all of them destroyed from the battle, metal and shattered tablets, statues and old weaponry spread hap-hazardly throughout the cavern. Craters and human-shaped holes covered the floor and walls. Tiny spot fires littered the floor, a massive smoking trench, the bottom still glowing a hot red, leading into an equally glowing tunnel in the wall, which spanned the entire height of the cavern. The only two SeeDs visible were Rinoa, her fists balled by her side and quivering in rage as the Queen's laughter echoed around the room, and an unconscious Angel, thrown by the shockwave to lie in a pile of rocks, unmoving.

All in all, the Queen had plenty to be happy about.

"Sh-shut up!!" Rinoa screamed, stamping her foot. "Stop laughing!!"

The Queen's laughter continued, tears running down her eyes as she kneeled down to pick up the Well of Souls, shaking her head at the Sorceress before her as she spoke, her voice full of confident humour. "Oh my…talk about teamwork."

Rinoa screamed out with rage, filling her hands with electricity to throw a ball of Thundaga at the Queen – who simply lifted her hand to stop the magic mid-flight, still chuckling slightly before sighing with a smile on her beautiful face – Rinoa's face. "Why bother trying? You have no more cards to play. Your team is wiped out, your Knight gone, your sanity slipping even as we speak."

_Please…_ Rinoa pulsed, her face twisting with defeat as she watched her Thundaga burn out in mid-air, never coming near to its target. _…Squall…please be hiding somewhere, ready for a sneak attack…please be alive…_

The Queen smiled, seeming to read her mind as easily as Rinoa could read another person's, turning her head to an upheaved load of rocks. "Come out now, my sweet…"

And Rinoa's eyes widened as Squall walked out from behind the rocks, his body flashing with purple electricity, the light flowing around his body, his hands hidden behind him, an uncharacteristic smirk adorning his face as he looked down to Rinoa, speaking in Squall's dead voice…but not being Squall at all. "Yes, my Queen?" He asked the Queen before Rinoa, crying out almost in physical pain, dropped to her knees with tears running down her cheeks.

"A good thing to do would be for you to take care of her now, my Aqual." The Queen ordered with a grin, before turning back to the Arch, walking towards it…before placing her Well down beside her and picking up the chair she had been sitting on when they arrived, dusting it off causally before placing it down and sitting down on it, smiling in satisfaction – before looking up at Squall. "Give me her soul, my love."

"…Squall?" Rinoa asked softly as she watched Squall step down from the ruined steps leading to the massive dais on which the Arch stood. As he approached her his hand moved from behind him – revealing the LionHeart stock, Squall's gloved hand gripping it loosely as the purple static continued to flash over his body. "…Squall…please…" She whimpered as his thumb seemed to trace the activation switch lovingly – before flicking it on, the beam-sabre flashing to life, spilling blue light onto the rubble-covered ground, his boots crunching against the rocks as he stood before her and span the sword around, loosening his wrist as his smirk disappeared from his stony face.

Rinoa's tears flowed freely, her mind unable to comprehend. Nothing made sense, nothing was right. Zell and Dee were now dead…Angel unconscious…Squall taken over. The mission was a complete and utter failure…her friends killed by her own hands…her lover and Knight stolen.

Squall's empty hand reached out to stroke her cheek, a tear being absorbed into the material of his glove. "…You kneel before your Queen." He said quietly in the non-Squall voice. "For your respect, you can choose where your lover's sword pierces your flesh."

Rinoa gulped, fighting through the tears to slowly pull her face away from his touch…

Zell and Dee dead… 

…Before lifting her hand to touch her left breast. "My hearts…make it as it feels…"

Squall's passive face twisted into a small smile as he nodded – before lifting his sword suddenly, twisting it around as he twirled – to stab it deep into her chest, the weapon sluicing straight through her hand and slicing her heart in half, blood pulsing from the mortal wound as Rinoa's eyes widened in shock, her body convulsing one on the blade…before her eyes slowly slid shut as a thin trail of crimson ran from her beautiful lips down her chin to drip onto her bent knees, her body held up by the sword penetrating her chest.

Lifting his boot, Aqual placed it on her shoulder and pushed her off the energy blade, her body slumping back as he lifted his sword, impressed by the craftsmanship. "Her blood is evaporating…" He said softly, watching the thick rivulets of blood covering the energy beam slowly vaporising from the heat of the weapon. "…Fascinating."

"…Indeed." The Queen muttered haughtily.

"Did I do something wrong?" Aqual asked, turning to look at his Queen, framed by the light of the bubbling Arch.

The Queen shifted on her seat, obviously irritated. "…You could have chosen a different place to kill her. Cutting her head off would have released her soul quickly. Now we have to wait until her soul tries to leave the body…then it'll be ready to relinquish it's power."

Aqual smiled as he walked up to her to kneel before her, taking her hand in his as he switched off the LionHeart. "You have waited this long…you can stand to wait a bit longer, my sweet…"

She shifted in her seat, looking away from him as he kissed the back of her hand. "If you were anybody else, I'd kill you for displaying that kind of insolence…" She looked down to him then, her free hand moving to stroke his thick brown hair and caress his cheek. "…It's good to have you back."

He smiled as he looked into her eyes, feeling her fingers as they ran themselves through his hair gently – before his eyes widened…

The rock had been thrown from the other side of the cavern, the small chunk of red granite whistling through the air – to smack into the Queen's hand as it ran through Aqual's hair, causing her to scream out in pain as she ripped her hand away from his head to cradle it to her chest, wailing in agony.

Snarling, Aqual leapt to his feet, the LionHeart burning into life as he slashed two more rocks from the air, protecting his Queen as he watched three shapes move out from behind the smoke…

Zell, Dee and Angel walked forward slowly, Zell's tattooed face filled with a grin as his two loved ones flanked him, Dee on the left smirking as she tossed a rock up and down in her hand, Angel on the right smiling also, her hand tossing a rock up and down as well. "Nice shot babe…" He said to Dee as they stopped their approach.

"Thankyou Daddy."

He cleared his throat before turning back to the Hearts. "It ain't over till someone kills the fat lady!" Zell called with a grin, crossing his arms over his chest, pointing to the Queen as he did. "That would be you, if you didn't get it."

He looked surprisingly unburned for a man who had just been incinerated to ash, and was revelling in the unbelieving look in the Queen and Aqual's faces.

Queen Heartilly's eyes were filled with tears of pain and rage as she looked at the three SeeDs incredulously. "Are – are you calling me fat?!" She screamed, standing on her feet, her hand clutching her other one as pain still shot up it. It was obviously broken – she was too shocked, angry and indignant to bother healing it.

Zell's eyes twinkled as his grin grew. "You're not the only one here with special powers, Queeny."

The Queen roared in anger, stamping her foot down as she pointed her uninjured hand at them. "Kill them!!" She brutally ordered to Aqual.

Snarling, his pearly-white teeth bared as he walked down the steps, Aqual slashed the LionHeart around his hand to loosen his wrist – before spinning around, the energy-sword sizzling as he slashed it around with his momentum at Zell – to blink in surprise as the SeeD simply ducked, the blade sailing right over his head as he bent down low – to slam his gauntlet into the stomach of his old friend, causing him to cough in surprise and stagger back, clutching his belly with one hand whilst his other held his weapon up to ward off anybody who advanced…

…Which they didn't as Zell looked over to Angel. "Babe, get Rinoa up and going."

Angel nodded to the order, jumping with a yelp as he tapped her ass before running over to Rinoa's dead body, placing her hands onto her chest and casting a Full-Life, the white light surrounding her body as a single feather dropped from the ceiling of the cavern and slowly floated down towards her body…

"No!!" The Queen screamed, pulling her un-injured hand back to thrust it out, massive slivers of Blizaga ice forming as she launched them towards the kneeling Angel and the dead Rinoa – to blink in furious shock as the ice shattered against an invisible bubble, the Barrier flashing once before disappearing from view once more.

The Queen looked over to Dee slowly, her gaze on the teen intense – as she looked into glowing blue eyes, Dee smiling at her and waving. "Hello!"

As Azel and Zell had been consumed by the Flare, Dee had managed to struggle to her feet, gulping down air through her bruised windpipe – and quickly cast her Barrier Blue on Zell, his body protected by the unique paramagic – but not Azel's, his body engulfed by the immense power of the Flare.

It was after that, with Dee pulling Zell from within the massive tunnel in the cavern and the two of them finding Angel, that Zell decided to change the battle-plan.

_Aggressive doesn't work…so I guess it's time to play smart!_ He'd said to his loved ones.

He knew Rinoa would be able to feel him – their connection as friends was strong – and also knew that he would not let her be lost to the Hearts – thusly allowing herself to be baited and lull the Queen into a false sense of security. Now that security had been rudely torn from her, the woman was flustered, angry and confused – everything that had looked so good a few minutes before now starting to taste sour as she thought of all the things she could have done to wipe them out herself instead of exploiting their weaknesses.

Growling at the teenager, the Queen lifted her hand, the darkness of an Ultima forming in her palm – "Lets see your Barrier withstand this!!" – before bringing her hand down in a throwing motion –

To have her hand stayed by Aqual's hand, his fingers gripping her slight wrist in his vice-like grip. She looked up at him with an incredulous expression on her face – before blinking as he looked down at her pointedly, realising what he had just saved her from.

Casting such powerful magic within the cavern would cause a cave-in in an already unstable area. They would all be crushed.

Her own trump card, played out against her Universal double, was acting as the proverbial double-edged sword. _If Rinoa cannot use her full magical potential…then neither can I._

With Azel dead, that only left her Knight to protect her in these conditions – and she was not going to lose him again. Looking up at him, she blinked hard, trying to think – before snarling at the SeeDs, bending down to pick up the Well quickly before turning to the Arch. "Come on, Aqual! We'll leave these fools to their death."

Zell narrowed his eyes as the two walked through the Arch, looking back as Dee and Angel walked up to him, a newly revived Rinoa between their arms, being held up by them, her arms draped over their shoulders. "You alright, Rin?" Zell asked the Sorceress, his tattooed face full of concern.

Rinoa's pretty features were drawn but steadfast, her eyes determined. "…She stole Squall from me, Zell…"

"I know. We'll get him back, I promise." He sighed softly as he looked over the destruction around them, the stacks Rinoa had said to keep 'as intact as possible'. "…So much for keeping things together…we almost didn't make it…"

"It's not over yet, Zell." Angel said softly, hefting Rinoa up slightly. "We've still got the Queen to worry about."

"Yes…we have to go. She might be destroying the arch on the other side – we'll be trapped then!!" Rinoa said urgently, wincing as her chest twinged, her soul still trying to resettle within her body.

"Yeah!" Zell said, blinking, before turning to face the Arch's glowing portal. "Lets move it!"

On the other side of the Arch, the guard posted outside the Arch doorway sighed softly. It wasn't the fact that he wasn't out in the field, fighting beside his friends and comrades – he didn't wish for glory all that much. And it wasn't because he was missing home – although he did miss home quite a bit.

He sighed because he knew he was going to get it from that man when he got back from the mission with the Commander. The guard had already been bumped down from a nice cushy medic rank to a lowly post guard – that man would seal his fate by really letting him have it.

The guard sighed again and wondered if it was not too late to go off and join the others in the field…he'd die quicker that way. You couldn't blame him really. His only weakness was pretty women. And if they didn't give in easily, well…

That was just their fault for not enjoying the love he gave freely.

A loud boom suddenly made him jump, the butt of his rifle to his shoulder instantly as he looked about himself – before blinking, turning around to face the door he had been guarding.

He frowned. _Nobody is supposed to go through the Arch until the mission is over…_He thought to himself, lifting his hand to the radio strapped to his shoulder. "Auron, I'm getting activity here…"

"_I know, the Tidus just blinked into life and two people walked through…it looks like Miss Heartilly and the Commander…although Miss Heartilly is dressed kinda weird…" _The voice said over the radio, confusion in his voice – before the radio suddenly sparked and exploded, the guard yelling in fright and pain as his hand and chest were scorched from the blast.

Shaking his hand, he began to back away from the massive foot-thick doors, his rifle discarded as he clutched his bleeding hand – before crying out in shock once more as a rending noise came from behind the thick barricade. "Oh gods…" He whispered as the door was suddenly peeled back from the hinges, like the flap of a tent was folded back, to allow the entrance of a woman and a man, the woman clutching an ancient looking bucket in one hand, her other glowing slightly from Cure magic, her robes billowing out around her as she moved into the light. The man was clad in dark leather and wielded a glowing blue sword – he stepped out from behind the woman to approach the guard, the tip of the sword resting on the guard's neck in an instant, the energy-blade sizzling as it rested on his flesh.

"Your elevators?" The woman said simply, her beautiful face dead blank as the guard gaped at her, swooning both from her beauty and deadliness. Narrowing her voluptuous eyes she reached out to grab the guard's testicles, squeezing them hard as she spoke in strained tones, having gotten his full attention. "Now, you peasant, before my Knight becomes over-zealous – and tries to stop me from hurting you."

"No I wouldn't…"

Zell was launched from the Arch, his body flying through the air to slam into the wall, his body wracked with pain as he curled into a ball, his eyes squeezed shut as his teeth ground against themselves.

He had forgotten about the initial Arch that they had walked through, way back at the beginning of this quest – the burning pain that had seared the mind as well as warped the body. It seemed the Queen had also performed the same magic upon this Arch as well.

Wincing as he heard someone else step from the portal, he felt cool hands touch his brow before rolling him over – to see Dee, Angel and Rinoa looking down at him.

"Zell, Zell, Zell…" Rinoa chided, placing her hands on his body, letting her Cure magic flow into him. "What have we learned?"

"…Never leap into strange Portals…" Zell gasped, feeling the pain melt away before sitting up. "…Why aren't you guys in pain-central?"

Satisfied that her father was all right, Dee had gotten up to move to the door, easing through the destroyed barrier as Angel smiled to him. "Rinoa was about to follow you when she realised there was something funky about the portal, so she did something to it to make it user-friendly."

Zell stared at Rinoa, his face deadpan. She shrugged with mute apology. "Hey, don't look at me, I didn't know it would be hurtful…until you walked through it, of course."

Rolling his eyes he leapt to his feet, shaking his body to get loose before placing a hand to his neck, pushing it to the right with a satisfying _craaack_. "Well, we can't hang about. We gotta get a move on before…"

Suddenly a klaxon began to wail, warning beacons dropping from the ceiling and rising from the floor, following the corners of the corridors and casting revolving red and yellow lights in all directions.

"Warning, non-recorded Meta-Human present within the central base. All personnel evacuate to the surface. Repeat, uncertified Meta-Human presence has been recorded within the centre of the base. All personnel are to evacuate to the surface of War World immediately."

"What the heck is that?!" Dee cried, running back into the Arch-Room as the warning was blared out from the command speakers within the base, filling the entire compound with it's deathly warning.

Zell looked about him for a moment, finally gathering his bearings – before swearing. "Shit! We haven't been sent to another damn universe! We've been sent _to our own damn base!!_"

The elevator doors opened – to allow the Queen and her Knight exit into the screaming masses of men and women rushing for the stairs and the elevators, the masses pushing madly to try and exit the compound. Although the entire army had moved out to take the fight to the Hearts, the thousands of analysts, recorders, couriers and general staff had been left behind in the relative safety of the base, far far away from the battle.

The Queen snorted as she watched the masses suddenly recognise her, the group of men and women suddenly stopping dead in their tracks and gawking making her smile giddily – before leaning forward to blow them a kiss, winking at them saucily.

The flirtatious gesture gave her the reaction she wanted – mass panic. Instantly the twenty or so Universals at the front of the group tried to backtrack, ramming right into the hundred or so people behind them who wanted to go forward. Panicked screams and cursed yells filled the corridor as the terrified met the confused, and hysteria broke out as someone pulled out a knife and stabbed someone else to get through…

"Interesting." Aqual said with a smirk, watching as the mob suddenly began to drop back as quickly as it had been pushed forward, bodies being trampled and crushed in the throng. "They run for nothing."

"Well, they are only ignorant masses…" The Queen replied, leaning her head on her Knight's shoulder, breathing in his smell as her hand reached down to stroke the Well in his hands, given to him within the elevator. Now she had room to act, she did not have to protect it so – her Knight was with her, after all.

"Can we destroy them?"

"…Well…we should be getting to the surface so I can rid this base of their putrid souls…"

"…Yes. We must hurry."

Smiling up at him, she leaned up on the tips of her toes to kiss him – as she held her hands out in both directions of the corridor, her palms glowing with white light before the air was filled with magic…

A massive explosion suddenly rocked the corridor Zell and the others were running through, large cracks appearing in the walls with great rumbling tearing sounds, red dirt showering them in their pursuit. "Bloody hell, what the crap-sticks was that?!" Zell yelled as he rammed into an elevator, rebounding off it to press the button.

"Holy…she just let off a Holy within the base!!" Rinoa cried, blinking hard as she tried to push away the feeling of para-magical power wafting over her. "…Hyne…what power…"

"Holy? What magic is that? Is it powerful?" Dee asked, unsure of why Rinoa was cringing so.

"It's a Forbidden magic, Dee…" Angel answered, looking at the elevator and silently wishing that it would hurry up and arrive already.

"You didn't answer my question…and what's that noise?" Dee asked again, hearing a whistling noise coming from the elevator shaft…

Before Zell turned from his repeated pressing of the 'up' button and threw himself on the women, the elevator he had been trying to call abruptly arriving with explosive consequences, the elevator doors buckling outward as the carriage slammed to the bottom floor with a resonating boom.

Red dust flying all over them finally dissipating, Zell picked himself up from the ground where he'd tried to shield the girls, patting himself down as he sighed. "Well…the elevator's here…" He muttered. "But it's not going anywhere." He looked down to the girls, Dee and Angel sitting up with worried expressions on their faces, Rinoa staying where she lay. "We're going to have to find another way up…Rin? You alright?"

Rinoa's body lay supine on the floor, a thin sheet of red dust covering her already mud-caked and blood-stained flesh and clothing, her raven-black hair stained in it, her small fists clenched and trembling. "No…no Zell, I'm not alright." She said quietly, her voice trembling. "She's getting away with _my _Knight, and every second we spend down here is wasted." Slowly she pushed herself to her knees, her long thick locks shielding her face from the others as she spoke again, her voice slowly becoming stronger, thicker, _meaner_. "And every second wasted is a second with her having him. And I wont have that."

She looked up suddenly, her deer-brown eyes slowly milking over, the tears cutting clean channels through the dirt and blood on her face suddenly beginning to glow with a fierce light. _I wont have that._

"Oh shit – bail!!" Zell yelled, grabbing Angels arm and running down the corridor away from Rinoa, Dee being dragged along by Angel as the corridor behind them suddenly exploded, feathers and debris flying around the three Dincht's as the sheer power of the shockwave blew them off their feet – before they were suddenly sucked back by an implosive force as a winged creature flew _straight up…_

Seifer sighed angrily, slamming his fist into the metal of the radio, the radio shattering into pieces with the force of the punch. Ignoring the glass and buttons pinging off his stained-purple coat, he grabbed the infantryman with the comm.-box by the lapels and got right into his face, his ice-blue eyes searing daggers into the boy's brain. "Listen up you Te'Get piece of crap! I want the base back online _right the fuck now_ before I begin to remove body parts from your lower waist, understand?!"

The Te'Get radioman, quivering in his over-sized boots, replied meekly. "But Commander…nobody can reach headquarters. All their radios went dead ten minutes ago."

"Bullshit! Nothing can block our communications, it's all encrypted and land-based, being bounced over relay-trucks on the surface of the planet! Even if they destroy one of the trucks, the others can still send a signal – so don't give me that bullshit!!"

"Sir, the signals from the trucks are coming in loud and clear – it's the signals from the base that has stopped dead." The man replied quietly, not really understanding why the Commander was getting so worked up.

Seifer blinked suddenly, a chill running up his spine as he froze, his hands still gripping the confused Te'Get's fatigues as he looked up slowly, looking through the eye-slit on the side of the tank he was in towards the Heart Base. Calm. Pristine. Soft clouds of dust rolling over the crater-marked landscape.

"Get Kinnes and the others!" Seifer shouted to a soldier as he vaulted from the tank and landed in the body-littered ground, not paying much attention as his boots crunched into the lifeless corpses beneath him. "We need a helicopter ride back to the main base immediately!!"

The hanger doors slowly opened wide, the blood-red skies and crimson dust-clouds of War World welcoming the Queen and her Knight as they walked out of the Universal Base, looking about them curiously.

The remaining Universals that had managed to make it to the surface were now huddled in a large group before the hanger doors. There seemed to be at least two thousand of them, all of them obviously frightened out of their wits. A small team of men stood before the large crowd, two standing out from the rest and speaking to them, trying to calm the crowd.

As they stepped out of the hanger the Queen reached into the folds of her skirt and pulled out what looked like a palm computer. Pressing a few buttons, a view of the planet came into focus on the tiny screen in her hand – before pressing another button pulled a waypoint of their current position on the globe onto the planet, a tiny winking purple light showing their location. She smiled, content that it was still working properly, before pressing another button – and bringing up a second, green waypoint up onto the screen, this one moving slowly over the globe towards the purple waypoint.

"Interesting…they managed to destroy two of our Ragnaroks with their one…" The Queen said with a small smile. That was unexpected, to say the least. The pilot of the Universal Ragnarok must've been extraordinarily skilled…but obviously not skilled enough. "The Green one will be here in less then half an hour…so we've got some time."

Smirking, Aqual raised his LionHeart – to let off a Plasma round, the bullet flying straight into the air as the sound of the gunshot echoed into the sky. "Bow to your Queen!!" He shouted with a sharp laugh.

The two-thousand Universals all jumped as one, several screaming shrilly as they saw where the gunshot had come from – before the screams were cut off immediately by a barked command from one of the two leaders, the man shouting something to the crowd – then turned to his comrade, speaking in low tones.

The Queen narrowed her eyes, watching the crowd and the men, allowing Aqual to gloat over them for the moment. They were all weak, not even worth putting in the Well – they would die along with everybody else when the time came…

…Then her eyes widened, a small smile growing on her full lips. "…Finally…"

Aqual turned to his Queen, frowning. "What is it?" He asked, watching her flip the palm-pilot closed and push it into the folds of her robes quietly - before looking up as the two leaders slowly began to approach them.

The men were old – one round and fat, looking more like a school-teacher then a warrior of any kind, with his neatly pressed suit and wire-frame spectacles perched neatly on his kind face, the face now grim. His companion, also looking grim, looked more the warrior – his shoulders broad, dressed in leather trousers and a dark-blue shirt, his gloved hands holding what appeared to be a sub-machine gun. His dark hair, with a silver of grey at the temples, was set loose, his grey eyes set on the two Hearts with firm determination.

Cid strolled right up to the Queen, ignoring Aqual as he stood not a few feet away from her. "Madam Heartilly, I request that you cease this universal genocide immediately and allow the souls of the dead to pass on as they are supposed to be, to allow them their final rest. I also request that you leave and never again threaten or harm the Universes of Te'Get, Gaia, Earth, and any other universes you have visited in your time."

Queen Rinoa smiled sweetly at the old man, stepping forward lightly to cock her head to the side slightly, reaching out to grab the old teacher's chubby cheek and give it a slight squeeze, like an old lady would give a child. "And why would we do that, mister?" She asked quietly, brushing the old man's tweed coat down delicately and straightening his tie for him. "Genocide serves my purpose. And threatening other universes is fun, too. Why should I listen to you?"

Cid sighed, showing the ut-most restraint and composure as he allowed this bastardisation of the sweet Rinoa to touch his clothes. "Because…we will be forced to retaliate."

"Like you did with your army?" The Queen asked him quietly again, pulling his coat tight around him before letting it fall to see if it was fitting him snugly. "All you did with them was provide me with fresh souls. You knew this from the outset but you did it anyways, trying to scare me out. But you know what?" She looked up into his calm eyes then, smiling that sweet smile she gave, the beauty hiding the horrible truth within her. "I'm not scared. I'm not afraid. Because I'm almost done and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

Laguna stepped forward then, his Desperado pointed to the floor as he watched his son step forward and activate his LionHeart – but move no further, the energy blade sizzling in the dusty air as a warning. Laguna could tell it was his son as only a father could – but he could also tell that this wasn't _his _son. "We can stop you." He said firmly, his fist tightening around the handle of the machine-gun as he spoke.

"I'd like to see you try." Aqual muttered with a smirk, his gunblade pointed to Laguna's feet.

Cid sighed then, stepping away from the Queen as his hand reached up to pull off his wire-frame spectacles. "Very well." He whispered, folding his glasses closed and pushing them into his coat-pocket…before green balls filled with flame suddenly flew around him – before he disappeared in a puff of logic, half of the crowd behind him disappearing with him.

"…I'm sorry Squall." Laguna said – before the green balls also flew around him…

Aqual's gunblade flashed out then, slicing straight through Laguna's torso and cutting him in twain – or so he thought. The after-image of Laguna's body vanished with a puff of logic, along with the rest of the survivors, the orbs filled with flame rising up into the crimson sky – to vanish.

The Queen sighed with irritation. She had been enjoying herself, mocking those men of obvious stature. Now they had to go and do something foolish like call upon Guardian Forces.

It would be a distraction when _she_ arrived.

Turning to Aqual, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before walking back into the hanger. "Take care of it." She called over her shoulder, disappearing into the confines of the base, the warning lights still flashing around her.

"It'll be my honour, my Queen." Aqual called back, turning to face her and bow –

As a massive monolith suddenly erupted from the ground behind him, the gigantic beast seeming to leap into the air before crunching into the ground behind him. The creature looked like a massive suit of armour, long plates of metal gleaming red in the War World sun with a gigantic helm perched atop the torso, a long red. It's gigantic body was supported by two large legs situated on either side of it's torso, the legs slamming into the ground and crunching the rock and bone into dust. All things considered, you could call it a giant robot – except for the fact that it seemed to emit a holy aura, the metallic armour gleaming brightly even in the dusty atmosphere, not even smudging in the muddy grounds.

Simultaneously the clouds within the sky began to grow, lightening slashing out between the thunderous collections of evaporated sweat, blood and water, the clouds smashing together and creating sudden surges of energy as a winged being flew in from the heavens. Sliding out through the thunderous clouds, the bird-type creature flapped it's massive wings hard, the encumbering winds picking up boulders and sending them flying to smash into the walls of the base. Its lime-yellow skin was a stark contrast to the scarlet red surroundings; blue lines following the smooth contours of it are inhuman body to come to a point at the head. Static electricity slashed over its smooth skin, from the point of it's smooth head to the wicked tip of it's long tail, crackling and sparking as it came to hover besides the armoured being that had just appeared.

The two creatures seemed to just sit there, waiting for Aqual's next move. Alexander, the Holy Sword, menacing with its extreme size. Quezacotl, the being made of plasma energy – a form of pure electricity – flapping its gigantic wings beside it.

Aqual watched them appear with muted amusement, a hand on his hip as the Guardian Forces appeared before him. He shook his head with a small smirk as he lifted his hand slowly. "Two monsters…" He muttered with disappointment, green balls filled with fire circling his body as he looked up suddenly, clenching his fist, "…to fight a god!"

…Then he disappeared…

And a Dragon's roar filled the skies.

Within the hanger the Queen waited, sitting on a small pile of boxes, looking down at her injured hand, still unhealed. She watched as the blood oozed out of the gash in the palm, red sand and dirt ingrained in the wound. The smooth palm was already becoming an ugly purple, and as she turned it around to look at the back she could see that the purple had appeared on the back of her hand, a small blot of purple surrounded by inflamed yellow.

She kept inspecting it impassively as the front doors in which she had just entered was suddenly destroyed as two gigantic creatures obliterated them completely, the entire front half of the hanger being totally shorn off as the scaled King of Dragons sank his fangs into the neck of Quezacotl, the smooth GF's beak shooting electrical pulses randomly as Bahamut used his powerful claws to rend the creature's wings to shreds, the fangs shaking the smooth creature's body viciously to shred and tear it's glowing flesh.

The Dragon King was just that – immense, powerful, supreme. Its scaled form radiated power, muscle tiering over its black shoulders, its giant legs with their thick claws digging into the earth of the hanger's concrete floor as if it were paper. The wings of Bahamut slashed out wide, great bat-like wings that covered the sky and blotted out the sun. The Dragon stood at almost five stories tall, towering over everything in the canyon they were in.

Queen Heartilly seemed to look up casually as the two monsters fought, Quezacotl finally managing to shake free of Bahamut's teeth and flit around the Dragon King, the clawed holes in it wings healing even as it took flight – to stab it's long pointed tail at the dragon, the sharp point heading directly for Bahamut's muscled torso, the tip sparking and glowing fiercely with static energy…

…Before Bahamut's clawed fist reached out and grabbed the tail, the point bare meters from it's chest!

It's other clawed hand reaching out to grab the plasma bird's tail, holding the creature in place as it beat it's wings frantically, the Dragon bared it's fanged teeth, a guttural growl emitting from the very pit of it's belly and easing from it's gritted teeth like smoke – before Quezacotl suddenly released a burst of energy directly from the tip of it's tail, the electrical spark hammering into Bahamut's side.

Bahamut's entire body became awash with electrical energy, the scaled form flooded with static, the spider-webbing energy flashing all around it's legs and clawed arms, flowing over it's enormous webbed wings and sparking off the tips of it's sharp claws – before it looked up, it's fangs parting to let out a heavy sigh, steam emitting from within it's cavernous maw as it's claws gripped the tail so tight the flesh was squeezed between the claw-tipped fingers. It had been unhurt by the GF's attack!!

Closing its teeth together with an evil clack, Bahamut gripped Quzeacotl's tail and drew the bird-like GF closer to it, the wings of the creature beating erratically and powerfully, kicking up dust and tossing the ruined debris of the destroyed hanger away with the wind as the Dragon King reached up – to grab the creature's left wing on a downward beat, holding the massive monster now by the tail and the wing, helpless in it's clawed grasp.

Gripping the wing and the tail, Bahamut pulled the helpless Quezacotl taut, leaning back to point it at the sky – before opening it's fanged maw. Within the Dragon King's mouth, a small bead of energy began to grow, sharp flits of light escaping the world around it to be sucked into the ball, letting it grow and glow brighter and brighter…

Quezacotl tried to escape, wriggling desperately with the Dragon King's grip – to no avail. The ball continued to grow, brighter and brighter, larger and larger, until Bahamut could no longer keep it in it's fangs – and released it, the Mega Flare smashing into Quzeacotl's squirming body, the smooth pale form unable to withstand the sheer force of the impressive attack. The explosion was gigantic, the sound unbearable, the light blinding as the Mega Flare blasted straight through the GF's form and careening off into the thunderous skies.

Pulling Quzeacotl's body as it had unleashed the Mega Flare, Bahamut's clawed grip tore the remains in two, the tail in one hand and the wing in the other as the beam of paramagical concentration finally exited it's mouth. It's fangs clacking shut for a moment, the gigantic wings suddenly flapped out, spreading to their full length as it lifted it's head and roared into the sky, starting with a high-pitched squeal that rolled down the sound waves into a guttural roar, the sound making anything metallic reverberate to the point of cracking, the Queen having to hold her hands over her ears within her Protect and Shell barriers to stop her eardrums from exploding.

Finished announcing it's victory, the Dragon King threw down the tattered remains of it's victim with muted disgust – to suddenly turn it's webbed wings upwards, the black wings coming together and shielding it's gigantic body – to buckle under the weight of a thousand white lights, the explosions rocking Bahamut's body, the creature gritting it's fangs as the Holy Judgement rained down upon it.

Outside, Alexander's armoured body hadn't moved – but the tops of it's two legs had opened up, revealing hundreds of tiny holes which shot forth white beams of light, these lights arching through the air to rain down upon the hanger, demolishing the rest of the ruined building as well as blowing up half the base in Holy light.

The red dust being kicked up to immense heights by the constant barrage covering the kill zone, Alexander's multi-holed legs finally snapped shut – to allow the tip of it's helm to begin to glow, the light spanning across the entire plain, every single shadow in the area growing, lengthening, before _disappearing entirely…_

As the beam of light was suddenly shot forth, the concentrated Holy beam of light sizzling as it screamed through the air towards the dust-cloud that had been the Gaian base, the blinding light connecting with something _furious_ – and detonating.

In the one of the Black Hawks flying towards the Gaian base, Major Almasy sat, still holding onto the stinger he'd picked up during the fight against Tetsu-ko. After seeing something like that, he figured he would never let go of it until he was safely back in New York, away from all this death, destruction, and five-story tall monsters.

The knife that a Heart had stabbed at him was still stuck in his breastplate. Awkward as it was, no Marine could remove it, and the Gaians didn't seem to be bothered trying – he was stuck with it until he was certain he could take his vest off.

Which he hadn't since he'd come to this world.

Sitting beside him, looking out the opening in the side of the massive chopper, sat Irvine. His neck and arms were swathed with bandages, his Earth Carbine lain across his lap. He re-checked the clip for what felt like the seventeenth time and fed it back into the loading hole, sliding it home and checking to make sure the weapon was chambered. His face was grim under his battered fedora. It was the end game, and he just knew they were going to be walking right into the shit-storm.

Quistis and Seifer in the Black Hawk beside them, the helicopters hovering at the same height, side by side. Seifer was looking straight forward, his face grim, his left foot tapping impatiently. He knew the helicopters were going as fast as they could, having come from a Gaia-set-up recon-base just a few miles away from the main battle – he only wished they could be going faster.

Quistis, having fully recovered from her previous mortal wounds, was looking forward to the horizon, squinting and furrowing her beautiful brow, her golden threads of hair loose from her bun flapping in the wind as she watched the dots of light in the distance. "Is that what I think it is…?" She asked…

…Before a shockwave originating from the dots of light suddenly slammed into the helicopters, the twin aircraft buckling and rattling under the immense pressure of the explosive power before beginning to scream to the ground…

The Holy light finally died down, revealing the devastating results. 

Where the base had been was now nothingness. Clear ground spanned where the canyon had once more, flat ground for miles in all directions, ending in a circle somewhere in the vicinity of ten miles away. The ground smoked from the force of the blast, the rock turned to glass from the heat, reflecting the scarlet sky above it.

Alexander's armoured form sat in point-zero, standing erect, tall, and proud. Its metal carapace gleamed cleanly – not even the debris of the explosion had left one single mark on its holy protection. The massive hulking GF had not moved in the entire explosion, its body unrelenting in its position.

The smoke where the base had been began to blow away as the wind picked up, trying to fill the massive empty space where a building and several canyons and mountains had once been –

To reveal the Dragon King, it's gigantic webbed wings still folded over its body, protecting it from the harmful explosive power of Alexander. Amazingly – impossibly – the GF had survived the Holy Judgement with barely a scratch. It's scaled hide smoked from the immense heat that had picked up, it's body heaving as it's fangs opened and closed, gnashing together violently as it looked down to see the Queen standing underneath the winged barrier.

Her Protect and Shell finally winked off, having taking a hell of a beating during the Holy Judgement – but she too was unscathed by the attack, her uninjured hand pushing a lick of raven-black hair from her gorgeous face before she looked up to the Dragon King, placing a hand on it's massive clawed toe and stroking it softly. "My fabulous Bahamut…" She whispered, leaning forward to kiss the dusty claw, leaving her lip-prints in the black shell. "Finish it off so my Aqual can come back to me."

The Dragon king needed no telling. As soon as she was done it's massive wings had opened, flinging off the melted glass that had been thrown on them during the explosion and slashing down, the spread wings beating hard and throwing the dragon into the air, flying high into the clouds – to begin to dive down towards the armoured creature not a quarter of a mile away, it's fanged maw opened to reveal the tiny white light beginning to grow once more…

For the first time since appearing Alexander moved. Shifting it's massive torso back suddenly, it seemed to lean back, letting it's legs roll forwards to point up to the sky directly at the Dragon King – before the plates of armour suddenly flew open, revealing rows upon rows of holes once more, the holes creating a whining noise which rose in pitch as light began to shine from them…

Then the Dragon King landed upon Alexander, it's clawed legs and feet latching on the GF's feet and shoulders as it rammed Alexander into the ground with a resounding _boooom_, their bodies skidding along the glass-covered ground as Bahamut's wings flaring up into the air to slow their speed to a crashing halt - before putting it's snout right up against Alexander's visor, the ball of light within it's mouth growing bigger and bigger, brighter and brighter –

Before it's scaled body was assaulted by hundreds of thousands of Holy's, the explosive paramagical beams hitting the Dragon King's scaled torso, legs and arms, each blast knocking the dragon's body around, it's arms and legs twitching and jiggling as the machine-gun-fast magic smashed into them again and again and again…

…Bahamut closed it's fangs and put it's face right against the Holy GF's visor, the fangs looking like a sneer as the dragon's eyes looked deep into the darkness within the helm, as if to say _I don't even feel it._ Pulling back and opening it's wings, spreading the demonic plumage as the divine barrage finally began to slow, the tip of Alexander's helm beginning to glow a bright white as Bahamut opened it's massive fanged mouth – and released it's Mega Flare.

Still gripping Alexander's shining shoulders and legs with it's clawed hands and legs, Bahamut fired the Mega Flare directly at Alexander's helm, the helm smashing into the red glass beneath it as the impressive paramagical attack bore right into it's armour, causing the shining metal to buckle and rend – before finally giving way, the head of the GF blowing off it's body and being sent deep into the ground, the Mega Flare blowing straight through the planet to exit out the other side, drilling a hole straight through the middle of War World.

Standing upright and placing a foot on Alexander's scorched chest plate, Bahamut set it's arms by it's sides, the claws half-curled into it's palms as it threw it's head back and opened it's fangs once more, the roar echoing out over the desert of glass surrounding them as it's demonic wings fanned out, spreading wide as it screamed it's royal defiance to the heavens…

Back at the ruins of the base the Queen smiled, blocking her ears once more as the Dragon King roared in victory. _Impressive…_ She thought to herself. _I hadn't believed Carpenter when he had said they had the King of Dragons…now he's under Aqual's controls, we both have no equal…_

No sooner had she thought that, however, a rumbling began underneath her, the very ground trembling, the glass crackling and shattering all over the floor of the ruined hanger-site – before a winged creature exploded out of the ground, it's white feathered wings beating powerfully as masses of steel, stone and debris flew up after her, depositing itself around the Queen like a fountain spraying wreckage.

"I was waiting for you to come out already, Rinoa!" The Queen called up to her flying doppel, laughing out loud as she spread her arms, her Protect flashing every time something bounced off it in the fountain of rubbish. "Look at what your Knight could do! I am surprised you didn't try for something like this sooner!"

Suddenly three figures flew out of the hole in the ground, their bodies twisting and spiralling in the air – to land hard on the glass-covered ground with thumps and grunts, the Queen letting out a short laugh as she realised who they were, yelling up to Rinoa again. "Oh my! SeeDs are hard to kill, aren't they?!"

Zell groaned, pushing himself up to his elbows from his position on his belly and rubbing his neck and head. "That _sucked!_" He groaned. The resulting implosion from Rinoa transforming at such speed had sucked them all up into the tunnel she'd blown through the base in order to get from what had been the subterranean levels right to the ground – and he'd been hit by every bit of rock and metal up in the process. He was pretty sure that's what a tenderising machine would feel like if you were fed through it.

Dee's eyes stopped glowing as she sat up, Angel holding onto her for dear life, her eyes wide as she tried to stop herself from trembling. "I wanna do that again!" Dee cried out in glee. Her and her mother had been protected by Dee's Barrier Blue – Dee had been unable to see Zell clearly enough through the surrounding wreckage in time to cast the same on him.

"Very well." The Queen muttered, her hand glowing for a second – before Dee and Angel was suddenly blown from the ground, sent flying out into the desert of glass to crash into the ground with brutal thumps and crunches, spinning and rolling to a stop on the hot ground.

"Dammit!" Zell yelled, punching his fist into the glass and putting his gauntlet straight through it before jumping to his feet – and stopping in his rush to attack by the winged Rinoa, her feathers ruffling in the breeze as she held her hand out to stop Zell.

_Go!_ She pulsed, looking back to him with smoking white eyes, the glowing tears still burning lines fiercely down her cheeks. _I'll hold her off and give you a chance to move!_

"But what if you cant beat the bitch?" Zell asked, concern on his tattooed face as he looked over to the Queen, who was patting down her dress, as if making sure it was clean before walking into a hall filled with royalty.

_I'll beat her._ Rinoa pulsed positively, looking back to her double with rage in her smoking white eyes. _Even if I have to beat her to death with my own fists, I'll beat her!!_

"…Okay. Good luck!" Zell said with a nod before running after his family.

The Queen smiled as she watched him run, tilting her head to one side as she looked the winged Rinoa over. "Luck is what you'll need…do you feel lucky?"

Rinoa smirked a small smile, her full lips twisting into an evil little grin as she mentally junctioned all her powerful magic to her Luck. _I do now._

The Queen chuckled softly before nodding. "Then lets begin."

Deep beneath the ground, several hundred feet under the core, within a cavern designed specifically for Arch transport, the Arch that the Queen had entered the base in continued to glow ominously. It bubbled and boiled, the reflecting visions of hundreds of other possible universes escaping through the rift for only a split second at a time, sending out a light which could not be described…

Before a person stepped through it.

His legs and arms covered in a scorched yet silver metal, the man cricked his tattooed face to one side before walking through the buckled doors and into the base.

It didn't take him long to find the hole with red skylight coming down. He climbed.

_52 pages…25,000 words…GF usage galore…and one hell of an Azel VS Family Dincht fight. I know it's come pretty late – but with this kind of quality, how can you complain?_

_This is it, folks. End game. The final chapter is upon us. Will Rinoa bring Squall's soul back from the Well of Souls? Or will the Angel Race be born once more? Can Zell defeat Azel once and for all? And whatever happened to Selphie and the rest?_

_Keep reading and reviewing, peeps…we're almost done._


	33. Requiem Of Fledgling Angel

_Dedicated to Aries. Rest in peace, angel._

Ch 33 – Requiem Of Fledgling Angel

As Zell ran towards Dee and Angel he looked into the distance, seeing the massive dragon highlighted as the only true landmark for miles around, standing out on the horizon. _Dammit…if Bahamet can't tell the difference between Squall and Aqual then we're in serious trouble…_ He thought to himself as he skidded to a halt beside his daughter and girlfriend, sliding on his knees over the smooth glass to arrive beside them.

Reaching out to Dee he tapped her face lightly with his hand, rousing her gently. "Hey sweetie, rise and shine, no time for a nap."

Wincing, Dee sat up as Zell turned to Angel, tapping her face as well. "Wha…what happened? It feels like someone threw a log at my chest…" Dee coughed, blinking hard as she tried to regain her senses.

"You've just been introduced to a Sorceress, Dee…" Zell said urgently, helping Angel sit up as he reached around to a small pack on the back of his tattered and bloodstained pants to pull out three High-Potions. Putting his arm around Angel's shoulders, the girl obviously too dazed to speak, he ripped the cork out of one of the small metal bottle and put it to her lips, helping the liquid go down her throat.

Dee winced again, grabbing one of the two he'd placed on the ground and, ripping it open, drank the contents down swiftly – before blinking as she felt the magical potion breath new life in her limbs. "So…this girl who looks like Rinoa is the woman we've all been looking for? Why aren't we helping Rinoa fight her!"

Zell sighed softly, throwing the bottle in his hands away and watching for Angel to react to the potion. "Because I know, from experience, that we'd get creamed. And not in the nice kinda way – in the totally fucked up kinda way. The only way we won last time was because we had all my friends there – Squall, Rinoa, Quistis, Selphie and Irvine…" He sighed quietly, his voice distant. "What I wouldn't give to have the whole gang here again…"

He blinked suddenly as Angel finally came to, blinking up to Zell. "Where…what happened? Is it over?"

"Nope. It hasn't even begun yet." Zell looked back over his shoulder to Rinoa and the Queen. "We'd better get out of here before they start – I get the feeling this place is going to get very dangerous very fast…"

"No shit." Dee muttered as the massive shadow of a mythical creature blocked the sun from view within the stormy skies – before the enormous clawed foot of Bahamut crashed down around them, the sound of shattering glass and crunching bone filling the air.

- -

Rinoa pulsed a gasp as she looked back to see Zell, Dee and Angel disappear beneath the Dragon King's stomp, the gigantic dragon having simply leapt from it's position half a mile away to land right where the Dinchts had been.

Before her, the Queen smiled a small smile – before her wings suddenly slashed out from beneath her back, the glass beneath her shattering out in the circular pattern as the air grew dense with paramagical energy, her eyes bursting with white-hot fire – before throwing her hands out, using her paramagical energy as a psychic push.

Feeling the sudden, massive increase in paramagical energy, Rinoa whipped her head back around to face the Queen, her wings flaring up – to be hit by the push, the invisible force blowing her right off her feet and spiralling back into the air, wailing pitifully as she did – to slam into Bahamut's stomach, hitting the scaled King's body with enough force to knock the wind out of her – before Bahamut's clawed fist slashed out, smashing her in the wings as she fell forward off his body and sending her straight to the ground.

Hitting the glass with an almighty crunch, Rinoa's scream rang out as she came in contact with the hard ground. Pain she was not used to shot through her body, her wings quivering as she tried to push herself to her hands – before the air around her grew hot, her glowing white eyes widening –

As the Flare hit, the explosion sending shards of glass in all directions as the flames consumed everything within a fifty-foot radius, the sound of the blast causing every loose piece of glass to rattle and shake on the smooth ground.

The Queen laughed out loud, her voice like nectar to any ear that heard it – even Bahamut, the Dragon King, paused to listen to its beauty. _This is pitiful…_ The Queen finally pulsed, her lips closing but her mind speaking. Drawing her hands apart she placed a hand on her hips, a broad smile on her beautiful face. _At least have the mental capacity to try and start this duel with what little dignity you have left._

Within the smouldering crater, the melting glass dripping into the cavity within the dirt, a blacked figure finally pushed herself to her feet. That is to say, not exactly to her feet – she was floating just a few inches off the ground, after all. Shaking her head clear of soot, her glowing eyes fierce within her darkened face, Rinoa spread her wings wide, shaking them quickly to get the dirt out of the feathers – before slashing them down, the single downward thrust sending her careening up into the air.

_Well, at least you can still fly…_ The Queen pulsed with a grin before flapping her wings also to take to the skies.

- -

Beneath the two warring Sorceresses, the Dragon King watched them take to the air, flying up and beyond the clouds, it's reptilian head bending up to watch as a brilliant light-show began to play within the stormy skies, flashes of red, blue, black and white creating a kaleidoscope of colours for the GF to enjoy…

_- A flash of light from its foot - _

Before, without any warning whatsoever, it's leg was suddenly blow off it's footing, causing the dragon to stumble forward to dig one claw-filled hand into the massive sheet of glass surrounding it – before a red gauntlet flew up to crash into the Dragon King's chin, snapping the massive Dragon's head back and sending it smashing into the ground on it's back, a massive squeal of pain and anger rising from it's gullet as it writhed on it's back.

Beneath it, Zell Dincht landed back on the ground, his teeth bared and his fists clenched tightly as an Aura slashed through his body, making it glow a bright yellow. Water dripped off his body as two Dolphins dove back into seawater that had appeared out of nowhere – his Dolphin Blow Limit Break, the magic seawater giving him an edge by using its swell to launch him up into his opponent's face - as well as giving him the dolphins, which appeared to do nothing except look pretty.

When the dragon king had crunched down on top of the Dincht's, it hadn't expected it's size to work to their advantage – instead of crushing them under it's three-toed foot, the three SeeDs had leapt to one side just in time – to land in the space between the dragon's toes, only barely escaping becoming Dincht Pancakes.

Waiting for the Sorceresses to get out of the way, Zell had asked Angel to cast Aura on him – before letting fly.

The Queen had forgotten one important thing when she had flown up after Rinoa.

_The Well of Souls._

"Angel! Get the Well!" Zell shouted, pointing towards the lonely looking arcane bucket sitting in the middle of the field of glass. "Dee and I will have to contend with Bahamut!"

Angel was already off running as Dee leapt to Zell's side, looking up at the massive dragon as it screamed, the glass around them shivering from the very resonance of it. "Um…Daddy…how are we going to fight the big dragon again?"

"With our fists, our feet, and our wits, Dee." Zell muttered, all business, the Aura flowing through his veins making him feel like a million Gil, the power of his Limit Break coursing within his body.

"Right…but how are we _really_ going to fight it?"

Zell rolled his eyes and looked at her. "Just punch something, will you?" He asked – before watching as the massive dragon rolled up to it's feet, shaking its scaled body to rid itself of the glass wedged between its scales.

- - -

Angel ran with all her might, trying to tell herself not to look back. _Zell and Dee can handle it…they're stronger then me…I've got to get the Well out of here…at least then the Queen won't be able to revive anybody with it…_

Racing up to the lonely looking arcane bucket sitting in the middle of the shattered glass, Angel skidded to a stop on her knees, slipping over the smooth glass as she swiped up the Well in her arms and rolled her body to reclaim her footing, breaking into a sprint once more without even stopping for breath.

The Well tucked under one arm, her little brown ponytail bobbing behind her as she ran; she shot a quick, nervous glance over her shoulder to her loved ones. "Stay safe…" She whispered…

- -

Back with Bahamut, the Dragon King was having a surprisingly hard time with the two Dinchts. They were so little and fast, it was hard to swipe at them or stomp them into paste – the GF's roars of frustration continued to build in tempo.

Beneath the Dragon Dee leapt to one side again as the massive clawed foot slammed down into the glass around her, her lithe body barely escaping a crushed death. Her mind was reeling with incredulity – she'd never fought a monster before, especially one this big and powerful! Its roars made her ears hurt, the glass beneath her feet vibrating with each ear-splitting reptilian shriek. It's scary visage, the massive wings spanning wide behind it as it looked to and fro to try and find her with its intelligent eyes – she was sure that if it did find her it would eat her.

Thusly she was simply trying to evade it for now, really too scared to attack and bring about its wrath on her.

Zell was a different matter. Leaping out from behind its left ankle suddenly, he smashed his fist into the Dragon's scaled foot, the Uber-Ehrgiez gauntlet ringing out with a metallic _clang_ as metal hit scale – before Bahamut stumbled forward with a look of confusion and shock on its face, its foot blown off balance. Following through with his Aura-powered attacks, Zell approached the beast quickly – to suddenly spin on a heel, his left leg whipping out in a slashing arc to slam into the monster's foot once more, blasting it right off the glass, sending the Dragon careening into the ground with an enormous _boom_.

"Now, Dee!" Zell shouted as he suddenly began to sprint for the Dragon's face.

Blinking, Dee could only stand, rigid in shock and fear, as the Dragon's clawed hand ripped itself out of the glass-covered ground and slam back into it, causing the earth to tremble as the Dragon pushed itself to its hands and knees – before Zell suddenly appeared beneath it.

Dee's baby-blue eyes widened as she watched her father place both hands on the Dragon's chest, the muscles in his shoulders and arms tensing and flexing, his teeth gritting as his tattoo grew taut, the yellow Aura around his body flaring about him – before he suddenly crouched down – and lifted off, pushing Bahamut right off the ground with him!

_Impossible!_ Dee exclaimed in her mind as she watched the SeeD and the GF fly several stories in the air – before the GF suddenly span about in mid-air – and was _rammed _into the ground once more, the shockwave blowing Dee off her feet as she threw her hands up to defend her face from loose glass as a crater of immense proportions was created by the Dragon's body as it was slammed into the War-World dirt. The Dragon's shriek of pain rang out over the wide glass plain, every single loose shard of glass shivering as the shriek continued out in all directions…

Before its clawed hand reached up to swipe at its chest – sending a yellow blur flying out into the horizon, the blur wailing in protest before slamming into the ground with an "Oof!"

Rolling over onto its belly once more, the Dragon King pushed itself to its feet – before blinking its reptilian eyes as it felt something crawling on it's back!

Dee could not believe she was doing this as she grabbed another scale and used it to launch herself onto the Dragon's sinewy shoulder, looking right into the yellow eye of the beast – before suddenly slamming her fist into the eye, the eyelids squeezing shut as the Dragon threw it's head back and screamed out with pain, Dee having to hold her hands to her ears to stop her eardrums from exploding – before a clawed hand suddenly swatted her against the shoulder, crushing her against the tough scales, causing her to scream out in immense pain.

Lying limp on Bahamut's shoulder now, Dee could only whimper in dazed protest as the Dragon King picked her up by her leg and, lifting her with it's claws, turned it's head to survey the tiny being with it's good eye, as if to wonder how this insect could cause it so much pain.

Dangling limply, her arms hanging beside her head, Dee opened her light-blue eyes painfully, seeing the gigantic yellow eye inspecting her – before suddenly throwing her left hand out, a shard of Blizzara Ice slashing out – to stab into the Dragon's other eye.

Now blinded, Bahamut threw Dee viciously to the ground, her body digging into the glass-filled dirt as the monster reached up to clutch it's bleeding eye, the sliver of Ice embedded directly into the slitted pupil. It's wail of pain seemed to reach a crescendo as it pinched the sliver between it's claws – and tore it out, purple gore splattering out of the eye before it's clawed hand slammed into it, holding it shut as it slashed it's head to and fro, trying to rid itself of the pain in it's head…

Before a sudden explosion sounded from the horizon, the Dragon King looking up – to suddenly spin on its feet as something fast slashed past it, going at speeds unmeasurable, the yellow blur disappearing in a straight line somewhere on the horizon as a sonic boom rocked the airwaves.

Bahamut was wounded, confused, insulted and angered. These two tiny Gaians were doing more damage then Quezacotl and Alexander put together! Now the Dragon King was blinded and had been spun around, causing it to be very, very confused as to where it was pointing at the moment.

It was at this point that the injured Dee decided to wake up, coughing viciously and rolling onto her back, spitting out some blood and moaning, feeling very-much in pain.

The Dragon could almost sneer, it's fangs beared as it drew it's clawed hands away from it's blind eyes. Following the pitiful, agonised wailing of Dee, the Immortals' blood assailing the Dragon's nostrils at the same time, Bahamut stepped up to the girl with earth-shaking steps before lifting one foot high, the massive heel situated right over Dee's shaking body, blotting out the sun and sending her into almost pitch darkness as she closed her eyes and curled her injured body into a ball, thankful that it was going to be quick…

Before Zell suddenly appeared from nowhere behind Bahamut's pinned leg, his fist buried within the ground as the glass and dirt beneath it exploded outward in a spraying explosion, his body crouched down into the glass. Smoke curled up from his body, the soles of his boots slightly melted from the intense pressure and heat made by the sheer speed he'd just attained…

…Before Zell actually arrived, his fist slamming right into Bahamut's leg, his red gauntlet slamming right through the hard scales, digging through the soft meat and brittle bone within to explode out from the other side.

The sheer power of Zell's My Finale Heaven had blown Bahamut's foot right off and sent the gigantic dragon _spinning through the air above Zell_ to crash into the ground a few meters ahead of the SeeD, the Dragon's body flopping and rolling on the glass-covered floor before finally resting still, it's leg spurting massive gallons of purple blood, it's wings bent and twisted from the roll on the ground, it's arms lying limply by it's sides.

"Was…was that it?" Zell asked himself, ripping his arm out of the ground, wincing as he held the elbow where it had broken in the slap Bahamut had given him previously – before the full extent of My Final Heaven overcame him, Zell's right leg twisting violently to the left, the bone within his thigh snapping from the power it had just put out, unable to withstand the pressure of going from zero to Mach 25 then back. He fell to the ground with a howl, clutching his leg with his good arm, biting his lip to stop himself from crying out anymore as he looked over to see Dee lying limply a few feet away.

The massive sound of a dragon king hitting the shattered glass floor filled the air, dust and glass also invading the free space as the dragon lay on it's back, it's head lolled to one side, it's reptilian tongue hanging loosely from the razor-toothed maw.

They had defeated the Dragon King.

- -

High above them, soaring through the air on wings of crimson, the two Doppelgangers continued their battle above the clouds, their feathered wings beating against the oppressive cold as they slashed through the sparking clouds.

Rinoa flitted to and fro, her body dipping in and out of the cloud, red puffs floating from her exit points as she flew through the crimson skies. When she had exited the cloud for the first time, she had been expecting blue skies – but no. The sky had been a metallic red, filled with the blood of the trillions of bodies down below which had invaded the atmosphere and created a shield of haemoglobin around War World. Wind whistled and howled around here, sound echoing for eons around them.

Her shock had been short-lived, however, as she turned – to watch as a massive pair of wings suddenly slash from the cloud she had exited from – and slam into her, the powerful flying appendages crushing into her body with amazing power. Her breath knocked out of her, she had begun to fall, her dirt-caked hair flapping in the wind as her body began to plummet – before she was suddenly halted mid-fall, stopping in mid-air.

Blinking her smoking white eyes, she looked up – to see her own face, perfect in it's beauty, radiating intense energy from those twin smoking white eyes – before she had been tossed back up into the air, her body spinning wildly, her wings flailing as they tried to find some decent air to purchase on.

Finally halting her rise, she looked down once more – just in time to get hit by the Thundara, the electrical attack causing her entire body to spark and jump, her voice screaming out to the crimson heavens as the power made every muscle jump and twitch – before she suddenly broke free from the power and flew backwards, falling down towards the earth – only to disappear into the clouds. She had been greatful for the cover before she had gagged – it was not a normal cloud made out of condensed water, but of condensed _blood_, the liquid coating her body and making it wet – before she burst from the cloud coughing and spluttering.

_You see, little Sorceress?_ The Queen had pulsed, her arms crossed under her breasts as her massive wingspan beat behind her, flinging the clouds away from her body, the current created by the beating air making a vacuum beneath her. _Our race was created for this. This planet is the proof._

_I don't understand…_Rinoa had pulsed back, her arms up, prepared for anything – but at the same time trying to push her blood-soaked hair from her face.

…_Of course not._ The Queen had replied, almost sadly – before pushing her hand out, the cloud surrounding her suddenly picked up by the wind which was magically created by her and had been bearing down on Rinoa…

…If the Gaian hadn't quickly slashed her damp wings down, sending her rocketing up into the air and into the blood-filled clouds once more.

Now it was a game of cat and mouse, the two Sorceresses now flying throughout the clouds, popping out momentarily to launch a magical attack at the other, the levels of magic quickly growing to monumental proportions.

Rinoa, it seemed, seemed to have the upper hand. Where she did not mind diving into the blood-filled clouds for cover – 'did not mind' meaning 'not having any real choice' – the Queen seemed content to avoid the clouds as much as possible. Even flying up to meet her SeeD doppel, she had avoided the blood-soaked collections of moisture.

_What does this mean?_ Rinoa thought to herself as she popped out of a cloud and hovered quietly behind it, sensing her opponent easily.

Her body, hair and clothes were matted with blood, and she had forgotten where her bleeding wounds and the blood from the clouds began. The smell of blood was all over her and had made her gag at first – but not now. Now her breath was heavy, her head spinning from the smell and the taste of iron in her mouth. The battle was completely one-sided – where Rinoa dodged, ducked and dove for cover, the Queen simply sat back and took pot-shots at her, as if she had all day.

_Well, it's not like she's in any real hurry…_Rinoa thought to herself again as she ran her fingers through her hair once more, pulling the blood-slick locks away from her crimson face and out of her eyes.

Crashed and loud booms were being heard from beneath her, and she allowed herself a brief smile. _At least Zell is holding off for now…please Squall, try to hold on until I can get you…what!_

She blinked, her smoking white eyes going wide as the cloud she had been hiding behind suddenly began to glow intensely – before it exploded around her, the lithe Sorceress diving desperately as the Queen's Holy burned through the air above her, singeing her feathered wings for a brief moment before she disappeared into another cloud, the fluffy red mass swallowing her up easily as the Queen flew over to her previous position, her massive wings beating hard as she looked about herself, mild annoyance on her face.

_I can hear your thoughts from a mile away, little Sorceress…_The Queen pulsed, contempt in her telepathic pulses. _…you think too much._

Just beneath her hovered Rinoa, her hand over her mouth as she tried not to breath too loudly, her wings flapping just enough to keep her within the cloud without destroying it, and less enough to not make any noise over the sounds of battle below them.

It was then that the sounds died down, the only noise left now being the whistling wind of the cloud and the beating of two pairs of wings.

Rinoa was shocked into a sudden stupor. She'd expected Zell to take a little longer then that – or had her battle with the Queen taken longer then she had thought? In her current mental state, being so dependant on her Knight and having been denied access to him for so long, she was seriously considering wether she had all her marbles left or not. Thinking she could take on a Sorceress of such calibre seriously put doubts on her own mental wellbeing.

She blinked suddenly as the clouds above her suddenly departed, her head flicking up, the smoking white eyes wide in horror as the Queen hovered above her, having found her as she had mused her sanity, the woman's hands pointed at Rinoa more deadly then any handgun or explosive device. _Lets see how they've gone, hmm?_ The Queen pulsed to her doppel – before a sudden burst of wind erupted from her splayed fingertips, hammering into Rinoa and causing her to scream out, her angelic voice richeoting around the heavens as she began to fall head-first towards the ground.

It was a nose-dive. She had no chance of pulling up or fanning her wings to slow her descent. Everything was moving so fast…she had no chance…no chance at all…

Then she hit the ground.

But not as she intended.

Her white eyes had been closed, squeezed shut, her last thoughts being the face of Squall and the sound of his voice in her ears – then strong arms had curled under her, catching her death-dive as easily as a father caught his daughter.

Her breath coming briskly, her body and mind wracked with pain but shakily holding together, she looked up, seeing blond hair and blue eyes, tanned skin and a welcome smile. _Z-Zell…you're alright…_She pulsed weakly, a small smile on her face…

"Not exactly, Rinoa. But he'll be fine in a few moments."

Rinoa blinked, lifting her hand to rub her smoking white eyes – to sudden see who had caught her. Blond hair, yes. Tanned skin, yes. Blue eyes, of course…but shielded by a thin pair of spectacles, perched upon a straight nose above a lopsided grin.

Julius.

- -

Zell groaned as he opened his eyes. The clouds above him had parted in a circle around them, resulting in the crimson sun shooting him right in the eyes. Wincing, he tried to sit up – before a soft hand on his chest pushed him back down. "Not quite yet, Zell. Let the magic do it's worked."

Groaning again, Zell looked over to the female voice, his vision coming into focus – to see Veronica, the teen smiling down to him. The Immortal nanomachines which had flooded her body gave her skin a shining look, as if she had been rubbed with tanning oil, and her eyes now twinkled like diamonds from the amount of tiny robots living within them. "You never did know when to accept help, Zell. And, as usual, someone's come to bail you out."

Zell snorted at that, brushing her hand from his chest and forcing himself to sit up. "Don't lecture me just yet, Vee – gimme a chance to pull myself together first." Rubbing his leg, he blinked as he lifted his gauntlet up – to see it slightly smeared in a silvery substance. "Veronica…you didn't just…" He started…

"Yes. The nanomachines." Veronica said with a nod. "I've been working on controlling them with my mind. After all, they're a part of me now."

"…And you can heal me with them?"

"Anything, really. It's just a matter of trading lost materials with the nano's." Veronica chuckled nervously. "Actually, I'm not sure of all of it – Julius knows more then I do."

Zell looked up – and grinned manically as he saw the large computer specialist holding Rinoa. "Julius, you old dog! Where the hell have you been hiding!" He crowed.

"When the Queen let off her Holy within the base, Veronica and I were trying to evacuate with the rest of the personnel. We were too late, however…I managed to save Veronica, but the rest of them…" Julius' face was saddened as he cautiously put Rinoa to the ground, blinking in surprise as she didn't actually touch the ground, instead floating an inch or two off it.

"…It's not your fault, pal…" Zell said solemnly, looking up into the sky as the sound of beating wings, the Sorceress Queen beginning to make her entrance. "…It's hers."

The Queen floated towards the SeeDs slowly, her beating wings steady and rhythmical, her hands folded under her breasts as she surveyed the situation before her. _Hmmm…no Bahamut…and more SeeDs then I expected…_She pulsed sullenly. _There is something about you SeeDs that just makes my skin crawl._

Zell smirked, grunting as he stood, wobbling uneasily but regaining his balance quickly. "We're like cockroaches. We'll never die." His voice was full of defiance as he clenched his fist, lifting it into the air, the blood-red gauntlet shaking with barely concealed rage as he spoke. "No matter what you throw at us. No matter how hard you try. You'll never destroy us! Never, understand, you bitch!"

_I understand._ The Queen pulsed with a small smile, a small smile adorning her beautiful face, not even a thread of hair out of place on the raven-black locks. _But remember – even a cockroach can be squashed with enough pressure._ Lifting her hands from beneath her, her smile twisting into a sneer, her eyes wide with homicidal rage, a dark orb grew within her palms, black electricity slashing forth from the orb as it rumbled and growled with paramagical energy.

The Ultima in her hands was a small one – but it was enough to eradicate everything within a fifty-foot radius. The evil sneer etched onto her face, she watched as every single face below her fell in fear and shock as she lifted the Ultima high, prepared to be thrown – Zell, Rinoa, the girl with the shiny skin, the younger blonde one being revived by her, the tall man…

It was the Queen's turn to have a look of shock on her face then. Her mouth opened wide as well as her burning white eyes as the tall blond man stood to one side to point down at a supine form lying on the floor.

_Aqual!_

"Throw that Ulitma and you'll destroy all of us!" Julius yelled to her, quickly crouching down beside Squall's body and, wrapping his left arm around the unconscious SeeD Commander's neck, placed his right hand to the back of his skull. "And if you don't put the Ulitma away, I'll break his neck!"

Julius' first view, having exited the hole in the ground which Rinoa and the others had come from, had been an unconscious Squall – lying within the enourmous indent of an injured dragon on the glass-covered ground. Julius' mind had worked quickly, seeing how Zell and Dee were so badly injured – Squall had somehow been forced to defect to the Sorceress' side. Suffice to say, this would make him a very valuable bargaining chip if the Queen ever backed them into a corner. She would never risk killing her Knight, the man she loved with all her heart and soul.

Rinoa screamed out then, her mouth wide as her Angelic voice pealed out, clutching to Julius' pant-leg and gripping it tightly. _No!_ She pulsed desperately. _Don't do it!_

_Yes!_ The Queen pulsed simultaneously. _Please don't! See, I'm putting it away!_

As she pulsed the words into their minds her hand lowered, the Ulitma's crackling energy dwindling into nothingness before their very eyes.

Julius smirked. He had her on the ropes, and she knew it. "Now, get down on the ground and fall out of that form, quick – what!"

_Let go of him!_ Rinoa suddenly pulsed, her smoking white eyes blazing with fiery anger as she grabbed Julius' arm and pulled it away from Squall's neck, kicking the SeeD with her boots as she tried desperately to wrestle her lover from this big man's grasp, her wings beating madly behind her, feathers filling the sky as she fought against her own allies.

"Rinoa!" Zell screamed to her. "Stop it!"

But it was too late. Rinoa, her madness encompassing her, finally kicked Julius right where it counted – in the testicles. Even a hardy fighter like himself couldn't withstand a kick to the goolies from a woman, especially a woman as desperate as Rinoa – there was an instinctual advantage that all women had when aiming for a man's testicles that guaranteed the maximum pain from an attack to the area. His wind blown out of him, he was left clutching his groin as Rinoa finally kicked off the ground, carrying Squall with her in her arms, her wings beating desperately behind her as she tried to use her dwindling strength to fly away from these people who was out to hurt her Knight…

…Before something suddenly rammed into her back, sending her careening back into the ground, landing atop Squall with a psychic shriek.

_The Queen had tackled her to the floor!_

Gone was the Queen's uppity manner, her hierarchal superiority complex towards the SeeDs – now she was a wildcat, using her nails, scratching and clawing at Rinoa, fevered desperation in her fiery white eyes also as she tried to keep her prize.

The SeeDs looked on, dumbfounded. Everything was happening so quickly, so suddenly. The scene was obscene to say the least – the two most powerful magical entities in the known universes were currently scrabbling in the dirt over an unconscious man like two school-girls fighting over a boyfriend.

Julius was the first to break the spell, surprisingly. "Quick…grab the Queen…" He croaked, still curled in the foetal position and clutching himself from Rinoa's berserk attempt to 'save' her lover.

Zell stepped forward immediantly, grabbing the Queen's large wings and holding them tightly in his gauntlet-covered hands, gritting his teeth as he tried to hold her still – before he blinked as he watched her focus suddenly shift from Rinoa to him and the others.

"Oh shit…"

Was all he got out before the ground beneath them suddenly blew apart, massive chunks of glass, metal and dirt suddenly flying up into the air along with the rest of the SeeDs as the psychic blast collected them all up and tossing them away from her. Now unprotected by Julius' trump-card – Squall's body, the only vessel worthy of carrying Aqual and Squall's soul – she had free reign over how much power she could dish out at the SeeDs.

And the amount was devastating.

Zell was thrown away from her immediately, left grasping two handfuls of white feathers as his body was slammed directly into Dee's supine form, still being quickly healed by Veronica – who was also collected up by Zell's flying body, the three of them sent hurtling into the sky to slam into the ground hundreds of meters away. Julius followed suit as well, only landing a few meters away from the other Gaians.

Looking back down to Rinoa, the Queen's fiery eyes were mirrored by her Gaian doppel, the two sorceresses trading statically charged glows. The Queen was on top, her fists beating down on Rinoa, but Rinoa was on top of Squall – the Queen couldn't risk releasing any paramagical powers near him, lest he was hurt by them.

Her attacks on Rinoa were slight, however, compared to the damage Rinoa was doing to her. Years as a freedom fighter, then in the Sorceress War with Squall and the others, before finally living with the SeeDs in Garden had taught her more then enough hand-to-hand to fend for herself had she ever been separated from her Knight. Rinoa's fingers, knuckles and fists jabbed, thrusted and gouged for the throat, the mouth, the eyes and the face, brutal and vicious, instinctual desperation in her attacks fuelled by half-remembered dirty-fighting techniques.

Finally, a jab to the throat had caused the Queen to cough, spluttering, her breath choked as her windpipe was crushed momentarily – giving Rinoa enough time to kick the Queen in the stomach with her boot, sending her onto her back as she rolled over and, grabbing Squall under his armpits, kicked off the ground with renewed vigour, the dirt and glass exploding out from beneath her as her wings beat harshly. She needed to escape with her Knight – that's all she knew she had to do. It was her one focus, her one goal.

Flying hard, her wings beating on her back like they had never beat before, she flew straight up, hugging Squall tightly to her as she climbed higher and higher into the sky. The smell of his blood, sweat and skin all had a calming effect on her – even the leather of his jacket on her skin gave her closure. _Don't worry, my Knight…_Rinoa pulsed as they flew higher and higher. _…Everything will be okay…everything will be okay…everything will be…_

Having been flying straight up, Rinoa had been ignoring her surroundings, simply trying as hard as she could to reach the clouds, where they had a slim chance of escape…before the clouds parted suddenly to reveal the green gleam of a Ragnarok, it's leaf-green metallic shell standing out fiercely on the red sky as it seemed to appear out of nowhere directly in front of her, slowly hovering out of the clouds as if it had been sitting there the entire time. It's dragon-like head was pointed directly at her, the dark lense of the glass glinting menacingly as if intelligence glinting from a Dragon's eye.

…_Oh no…_

A Heart Ragnarok.

The Red Ragnarok had fallen.

Rinoa had no power left. Physically drained to the point of exhaustion, she had no energy to call upon the paramagic within her. It had taken all her might to fly herself and Squall this high – and now the twin-mini-guns of the Ragnarok unfurled from it's little arms, pointing directly to Rinoa.

…_At least we'll die together…_Rinoa thought to herself, her burning white eyes squeezing shut as she clutched Squall hard to her, her wings beating erratically behind her now as she pressed her face to his dirt-covered back, the smell of his leather jacket filling her senses as the glowing white tears streamed from her face and stained the black material…

"_Whoops! Wrong one! Dive dive dive!" _A hyperkinetic voice suddenly squealed out over the Ragnarok's announcing system, the green mechanical monster suddenly banking sharply to begin to fly towards the ground.

Rinoa's eyes were wide behind Squall as she tried to compose herself, her body physically trembling from shock and exhaustion. _Selphie…when this is all over I'm going to kill you…_ She pulsed to Squall, and only Squall.

- -

Within the Green Ragnarok, Selphie hooted as they erupted from the clouds, flying straight towards the ground – and spying a lone figure on the ground – and this one had large wings. "No doubt, it's the Queeny! Charge the Plasma Cannon!" She roared, her feet planted directly onto the accelerator pads beneath her so they were both touching the metal floor.

"Yes ma'am!" The two Estharians shouted in return, beginning the proceedings with gusto.

The two Estharians had always known that Selphie hadn't always been together in the mental sense – she was always too air-headed, too cock-sure, too ditzy…but what she had done before had been more then suicidal. Sheer insanity didn't come close to what she had been thinking when the Green Ragnarok had pointed it's already charged Plasma Cannon at them – before they had shot at each other!

They had held on tightly as the two particle beams had rocketed directly towards each other at speeds inconceivable – before the beams had _twisted around each other, looping around _each other's lines of fire to completely miss each other and continue to bear down on their intended targets. The plasma charge had been designed with paramagic in mind – once a target was locked in, the particle beam was able to _loop itself over and around any obstacle in it's path in order to hit it's target._

As they had watched the Green Ragnarok's plasma charge bear down on their own Ragnarok with building speed, Selphie had done what any other insane person would have done – she'd immediately shoved every single control, thruster, booster and hover-pad directly _forward_, tilting her Ragnarok up so the mechanical dragon was pointing at a 45-degree angle, the cock-pit _directly in the path of the plasma charge_ – before hitting the eject button.

The head of the Ragnarok had immediately shot out, being sent flipping through the air as the plasma charge _swerved to avoid the loose cockpit _and slammed into the falling body of the Estharian Ragnarok, devoid of controls – then exploding brilliantly, lighting up the sky as the plasma charge igniting the remaining fuel-cells and ammunition within the aircraft.

The ride had been nauseating, Selphie and her two co-pilots spinning violently around and around, their seat-belts wrenching at their bodies as their disembodied cockpit flew through the air – to ram directly into the top of the Green Ragnarok, slamming directly into the conference room at the middle of the spinal area right between the wings/main boosters.

_Just as Selphie had planned._

The Green Ragnarok was manned by robots. There would be no physical guards protecting it's insides. Now, with it's objective complete – the destruction of the SeeD Raganrok – it hovered harmlessly, awaiting orders.

And, upside down, Selphie had unhooked herself from her seatbelt to fall to the roof of the cockpit, landing on her hands and feet like a cat before looking up to the others. "C'mon!" She had cried, her excitement flipping into overdrive. "We gotta hurry up and re-program this thing!"

Now, after a few hundred pulled wires, some re-programming and some 'tender loving care' to the AI unit, the Green Ragnarok had come under Gaian control and had turned right around to fly back to where the action was – the massive flash of light that had lit up the horizon.

'_Beep! Operations compromised. Proceeding to self-destruct.'_ The AI unit Selphie had TLC'd out of the main control dashboard and into the corner spoke in it's tinny, metallic voice, the box surrounded by hundred of torn wires and shattered circuits.

"Quiet you!" Selphie yelled to it as their death-dive continued, before looking to her comrades. "How we going, guys!"

"Ma'am! Plasma Cannon will be operational in less then fifty seconds!" One Estharian called urgently.

"You've got fourty!" Selphie yelled back as the Queen realised that something was wrong with the fact that her only remaining Ragnarok had begun to charge it's plasma cannon and bear down upon her at increasing speed.

Smirking, she lifted her arms to point them at the massive metallic dragon.

'_Paramagical energies detected. Taking evasive action.'_ The AI beeped casually, sliding across the room as Selphie banked to the right as hard as she could – before the sky was suddenly filled with a holy light, the light intense, eradicating everything within it's path as the Holy beam slashed just underneath the Ragnarok's left wing, searing the green paint as Selphie flipped it around – before slamming her foot on the boosters, the large ignitors on the behind of the spaceship suddenly erupting into life and sending her shooting straight towards the horizon.

Everything was suddenly being crushed down as they rocketed straight towards the emptiness of space, the G-Forces the Gaian's were being put under squashing them right into their seats. Slamming both her feet down on the left accelerator pad, Selphie twisted the controls to the left as hard as she could, the Ragnarok suddenly turning on a dime, suddenly facing back towards where the Queen had been as they suddenly broke through the atmosphere and floated,. Backwards, through space, facing down to the red planet before them – before she slammed her right foot back down on the right accelerator, sending her shooting straight back towards the planet and the Sorceress!

The ground coming towards them at unbeleiveable speeds, Selphie watching as the Queen came into view – before suddenly taking flight, her massive wings beating harshly in the red sky making her a very obvious target. Selphie lined up the aiming module at the epicentre of the two gigantic wings…where a very dark light was beginning to form, black electrical energies suddenly shooting out from within the dark light as if it was some kind of generator.

'_Beep. Ultima detected. Taking evasive action.'_ The AI beeped.

"Gods, whats she trying to do, kill us!" Selphie cried…before frowning. "What? Of course she is! Um…guys!"

"Fifteen more seconds, ma'am!"

"We don't have fifteen _seconds_! We don't have fifteen _mili-seconds_! We're about to be _destroyed_ by the one most _singular powerful magic in the known universe_! Now if you don't get that damn cannon going, the last thing I'll be doing in my short life will be _killing_ the two of you in the _most painful manner I can imag_…"

"_Ma'am! Fire now!_"

Selphie blinked, looking down at her screen to see the Plasma Cannon was finally charged. Her tiny fist slammed into fire button so hard the plastic cracked.

- -

The Queen's Ultima was finally charged as the Ragnarok continued to grown larger and larger, flying directly towards her, the long barrel of the Plasma Cannon slung on it's underside finally emitting a long burst of light – before the roar of a Plasma blast suddenly echoed around WarWorld as the gigantic metal dragon bucked with the sudden burst of energy.

The brunt of the Plasma fire bearing down on her, the Queen's lips curled into a sneer as she lifted her hands to point them at the beam shooting towards her, the small ball of black light crackling and sparking energetically. She was hurt, dirty, and insulted in every possible manner – she would eradicate these upstarts herself, retrieve her worthless Knight, and destroy the entire planet with her power. Her idleness had become a nuisance. Her attempt to derive some kind of humour from the SeeDs' antics had been an outrageous failure. She would end this _now._

It was then that her eyes widened, the smoking white light suddenly flashing in sudden surprise.

She'd forgotten something.

_The Well!_

Her surprise was her downfall. Shocked that she had completely forgotten about something so important, she failed to recognise the Plamsa charge bearing down on her, even as it grew larger and larger. Blinking back into focus, she desperately threw her Ultima at the beam before throwing up a barrier of magical protection.

Her shock was complete as she watched the particle beam _bend around _the massively powerful energies of the Ultima, suddenly remembering that the Estharians had designed the Plasma Cannon for such an full-frontal attack on powerful paramagics – before it hit her shield.

Screaming out in pain as the heat hit her first, her clothes were destroyed utterly as her shield _bent inwards_ with the sheer force of the beam of super-concentrated energy, the silken clothe seeming to simply evaporate off her skin as it began to blister and boil.

Her last thought as the Plasma beam wiped her from the sky was that she had forgotten that the plasma beam was a purely physical attack. She had placed up a Shell to try and stop it, in her shock and desperation. A magical defence against something designed to subvert paramagic.

_She was defeated!_

_- - - _

Within the Ragnarok Selphie whooped with glee as the instruments confirmed a kill. "Booya! We did it!" She squealed with delight – before blinking in surprise as she watched the Ultima, having been untouched by the Plasma charge, sailed right into the underside of the Ragnarok. "Ah crap-sticks…"

The Ultima simply had to touch the plasma cannon's barrel – before suddenly expanding violently, blowing up like a balloon being pumped up completely with one breath – before being sucked into itself, disappearing into nothingness, everything it had enveloped going with it. Now the entire plasma cannon had been scrubbed from the underside of the Ragnarok, as well as most of the hover pads, as if they had been drawn on by pencil and the Ultima had been a massive eraser. The entire underside was sparking with loose wires trying to send electrical information, the leaf-green paint giving way to ugly gun-metal grey piping and layers of armour.

"Ma'am, we've been hit!" The Estharians screamed in unison as every single warning klaxon, bell and siren sounded at exactly the same time.

Selphie wasn't listening, however. She was sitting back in her chair, exhausted, her hands trembling from the exertion she'd been putting out the last few months. _It's finally over…_ Her mind whispered to her calmly as disarray filled the space around her.

'_Beep. Operations compromised. Sustained massive damage. Initiating self destruct.'_ The AI beeped quietly amongst the chaos within the cockpit, not really caring if anybody heard it and really just wanting some attention.

- -

"Well I didn't see that coming." Zell muttered to himself as he picked himself up off the ground, dusting himself off as he looked up at the Green Ragnarok wobbling slightly in the air. "Why the heck would a Heart Ragnarok take on the Queen?" He smirked down to Veronica and Dee as they winced, sitting up simultaneously. "Not that I mind, y'know…it's just, I kinda figured Rinoa would be the one to kick the Queeny's ass…"

A loud groan came from the east before a metallic girder was pushed to one side – followed by Julius standing. His face still etched with pain, he walked slowly over to Veronica before hugging her tightly to him. He needed closure.

Zell was next to him in an instant, his eyes wide as his grin was huge on his face. "Dude, you took one to the nads! You're a man, man, you took it and you kept on going, you rock!"

Julius simply looked down at Zell…before trying to grab him, only being held back by Veronica.

Chuckling nervously, Zell backed up and turned to Dee, scratching the back of his neck as he crouched next to her as she sat up. "How do you feel, sweety?"

"Mmm…like someone's been goosestepping on me all day…" Dee muttered, running her hand through her long blond locks and watching as her Ehrgiez glove came back slick with coagulating blood. "…I was really close to Final Death then…"

Zell frowned. "'Final Death'? You mean, dying and not being able to be revived? C'mon, you got your daddy here! I'd never let anything happen to you."

Dee smiled softly, pushing herself to her feet before throwing her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "I know…"

His breath was loose in his chest as she pressed herself against him, his hands gentle on her hair as he held her to him. She closed her eyes, thankful that it was all over, that this evil entity had finally been destroyed. Now, perhaps they could begin to live something of a normal life…as one complete family…

"…Daddy?" Dee asked his shoulder.

"Yo." He replied to her hair quietly.

"…Where's Mum?"

Zell's eyes were wide as his entire body went rigid, a demon touching his spine coldly. _Angel…_

_- - - _

Angel had been sprinting with the Well for almost an hour now, having put miles behind her in her trek across the WarWorld wasteland. The glass was still beneath her feet, the intense heat of the GF attack having melted the sand before the rushing wind had cooled it into hardness immediantly.

Zell had told her to grab the Well and run, and that had been the plan…until all the sounds of battle had died down behind her. No light. No explosions or booms. Nothing left to her now but spanning emptiness around her and the whistle of wind as red dust swirled around her.

Now she needed to find somewhere to hide until she was certain it was safe to come back out. It was the only sensible thing to do. If Zell had fallen, she needed to keep the Well away from the Sorceress Queen.

She was praying desperately that he had not died as she continued to run, trying to make her way towards the mountains in the distance. She didn't dare using magic to help her – the light and paramagical energy would be too obvious in such a barren wasteland.

The only sounds were her heaving breaths and her footsteps digging hastefully at the smooth glass, causing her boots to _tap tap tap tap tap tap tap_ _tap_ in unison with her heart, pounding within her chest, powerfully and without remorse. Her arms burned without relief, the stone bucket heavy in her grasp. Her arms were wrapped around it tightly, hugging it to her breasts, the other half of her concentration concerned with keeping it tight to her as the rest focused on running as hard and as fast as she could.

Then, suddenly, another sound filled the air around her. It was a sound which she had been dreading, the sound which she had been wishing she would never hear again.

_The beating of wings._

Closing her eyes tightly, her arms hugging the Well closer to her heaving chest, she began to run faster, trying to concentrate on just her balance and speed, and not the heavy beat behind her growing in rythem with her own acceleration…

She had no choice. She needed to look. She needed to make sure she had enough room to at least cast Haste. And so, craning her head around, she saw…

Horror. The Rinoa which she knew would never look like that, covered in blood, her clothes and wings and skin stained in it, her eyes wide and fevered with insanity, her arms outstretched to Angel with her sharp nails scratching out for her, her mouth open and wheezing as her eyes burned and sparked and smoked…

Angel's shriek rang out over the open space, the glass echoing it out into the empty sky.

- -

A few miles back, the coldness in Zell's body intensified to the point where every single nerve ending seemed to vibrate. "What the fuck was that?" He asked in shocked confusion as a shriek echoed out from the plains to the north…

Before Julius suddenly flew past him, Veronica following suit, the two of them flying straight through the air to crash unceremoniously into the ground some yards away.

His eyes were wide with shock – before something suddenly struck Dee in the neck, so hard and fast she didn't have the chance to cry out.

Something wet hit his face.

The smell of copper filled the air.

Dee's body went limp in his arms, her head slumping back – only being held to her neck by a few threads of muscle, the spine showing a stark white within the muscle as crimson mist filled the air around Zell.

Something filled with air as well. A sound.

Zell couldn't tell it was his screams. He couldn't comprehend much. He could only feel his daughter's dead body in his arms, weightless yet pulling towards the ground as his hand moved to her silken gold hair, trying to place it back to her neck – before a rock smashed into the side of her cheek, shooting it from Zell's hand to fly away, skittering to the ground and rolling to a stop at Veronica's limp form.

Her body fell lifelessly to the floor as Zell's arms let her drop, his strength nowhere near enough to lift her dead, empty weight. She landed with a thump and a splat, red splattering on the cracked glass beneath his feet.

Her head had been sliced off.

_She could not be brought back!_

Once a limb was lost, there was no chance of it ever being restored, at least, by Gaian paramagical standards…but nothing could sure total decapitation. Only the Immortals had the technology to fully regenerate a human body…and the last remaining person who could ever find them was now dead in Zell's arms.

As quickly as his shock overcame him it was overridden by rage. Unquenchable, formless, seething rage.

He knew who had done this without looking, and balling his fists so tightly blood seeped from the metal around his fore-arms, he turned his blood-splattered tattooed face to the left slowly, his entire body trembling as he saw…

Himself. Scorched and looking smug…but it was most defiantly _him._

Azel tossed another rock up and down in his hand slowly, a small grin on his face as his spiky-blond hair ruffled slightly in the wind – before speaking out triumphantly. "Now I've got your attention…"

- - -

Squall's unconscious body lay upon the glass, unmoving on his back like a corpse. The only sign of life was the rhythmical rise and fall of his chest, his scarred face lolled to one side with it's mouth open, breathing in the wasted air of WarWorld.

A winged shadow billowed over him, the beating of the wings causing the dust to rise around him in thick crimson clouds – before Rinoa suddenly slammed into the ground beside him with a sickening _crack_, her body shattering the glass even more as she hit the floor and hit it hard.

There was barely anything left of the Sorceress. Covered in the forgotten blood of a billion bodies, beaten and worn, her energy was all but spent. Her eyes, usually smoking merrily with a white light, were now barely glowing. Her wings, normally lush full of feathers and energetic even when folded down were now hanging limply behind her back. A low moan emerged from her lips as she pulled herself, bleeding from the glass in her arms and legs, from the crater she had made upon impact.

She seemed to lift herself up, as if her body weighted ten times more then it should – before, with almost superhuman effort, she pulled the Well from where she had landed on it, the stone bucket crushing the glass as she rammed it into the floor. The thing weighed so much…but she needed to keep going. She was so close to having him back…she just needed to keep moving a little longer.

Sweat was running down her face now, cutting channels through the blood and dust as she pulled herself forward, dragging her body towards her lover, her wings trailing lifelessly on the floor behind her. She could have dropped out of her Sorceress status an age ago…but she fear that if she did, her injuries would consume her.

Finally arriving to his side, she lay down upon him, draping her body over his chest, tears flowing down her cheeks and mingling with the sweat and blood as she sobbed. She was _so tired…_

Kissing his cheek softly, she rolled to her side and curled her hand around the Well beside him, pulling it closer, the stone grating against the glass loudly as it moved.

She paid it no heed as she placed her hand on the thick lid. The lid was about three inches thick, and looked like it had been stamped down with a hammer. Indeed, she couldn't even see any joins anywhere which would show where the lid began – but she knew that this was the lid. Somehow, something within her, some secret part whispering to her fatigue and madness-riddled mind that _this was it._

And, digging her fingers into five grooves on the top of the lid, she twisted…

…And pulled.

A sudden, ferocious kaleidoscope of colour filled the sky, shooting straight up into the atmosphere, a deafening roar erupting from the small stone bucket. Rinoa's weak screams were muffled entirely as the trapped souls within their magical prison were all released simultaneously, filling the sky and spreading out over the world.

Rinoa's eyes were wide as she paused for a brief moment. For a split second her current mission was put on hold as she watch in awe at the spectacle before her.

Lights. Billions upon billions upon billions of tiny, floating lights were shooting up into the sky, like glowing sand being thrown into the air and spinning out of control. Like a sea of light it flew through the clouds in a spanning, circular pattern, covering the world with it's light, blotting out the sun entirely with it's own incandescent glow.

"_D-do you see it!"_ Rinoa cried to her unconscious lover, her powers having waned so low she was capable of normal speech. _"Do you see the light, my love!"_

Then she blinked, her mind returning as quickly as it had hid, and she looked down at the body she lay upon.

The tears streaming down her face, she now knew what she had to do.

She had to remove the soul within the body. She had to _kill_ him.

Moaning as she forced herself to straddle his chest, her hands pressing down on his torso as she pushed herself to sit on him, her wings hung limply behind her as she cried out in anguish. She looked like a fallen guardian angel, crying over her dead ward. But, as she lifted her hands up high, a weak light filling her fingertips, she almost looked like an angel bestowing a gift upon a fallen warrior…the gift of life.

Her fingers entered Squall's chest easily, her hands sluicing straight through the chest to grasp the flickering light that was his soul. There was no blood, no tearing of the flesh – this was a spiritual attack, focused on the soul of the creature being targeted. Almost as soon as the Sorceress had grasped the soul within the body, the body reacted, being roused from it's slumber to fight off this creature trying to destroy the inhabitant of the shell.

His grey eyes were wide as his mouth opened, the roar of the Well drowning out his suffering screams as his fists clenched so tight his nails tore through the leather gloves and dug into his palms, blood pooling where they beat upon the glass.

Rinoa's eyes were squeezed shut tightly, the feeling of his body writhing beneath her more then enough to make her body defy itself. If she actually saw her hands in his chest, ripping the very soul of his body, she was absolutely certain she would lose every last scrap of focus she had left. _"Just die! Die and never ever come back!" _She screamed to the soul of Aqual, the dirty image of her torturer masquerading as her Knight suddenly welling up in her mind, her resolve hardening a little more as she reminded herself just who she was trying to kill and who she was trying to bring back.

Her hands now buried up to the wrists within his chest as she pulled with every single muscle, every fibre of her being…

Before something suddenly grabbed her from behind, strong arms wrapping themselves around her chest and pulling as hard as they could.

Rinoa's eyes were wide. _No! Not when I'm so close! Not when I've gotten this far! You can't stop me!_ Her mind screamed out as her head whirled around – to see Angel!

"Rinoa!" Angel screamed into Rinoa's ear over the deafening roar of the Well's Release, her entire body seeming to be focused on pulling Rinoa off Squall. "Don't let go of Aqual! Just don't let go!"

Rinoa's glowing eyes widened as realisation suddenly filled her mind. _She's helping me!_ Confidence was now with her, and turning her head to look down at the struggling form she had her forearms embedded in, a sudden smirk covered her face as she shifted her legs up so her feet was planted on Squall's shoulders – before the smirk was changed into twisted determination as she pulled with all her might, lifting her head up and screaming out, the two women pulling with every single shred of their strength and determination, their will resolute to the last…

Before Angel suddenly ripped Rinoa clear of Squall's body, his arms and legs finally falling limp – as the two women looked at the figure within Rinoa's hands.

It was just like Squall – only transparent and glowing, Rinoa's hands gripping his torso tightly – before the figure was reduced to glowing light, the baubles seeming to spin around Rinoa's hands and body briefly – before they were sucked into the spiritual geyser erupting from the Well.

Rinoa, her powers now almost completely spent, rolled off of Angel, coughing and crying weakly. Her sudden show of strength had disappeared as quickly as it had grown, and now she could barely move.

Angel was crying as well, confused and frightened beyond disbelief. It had only taken a few moments of sheer terror when Rinoa had snatched the Well from her that she had realised that the Queen would have simply killed her for it – not scared her witless and taken it from her. Then she had remembered that Aqual now inhabited Squall's body – scratch that, _had_ inhabited his body – and that Rinoa had been going slightly batty the entire time afterwards…

She scrambled over to the spent Sorceress, gripping her shoulder and shaking it violently, having to lean right down to her ear to scream into it over the roar of the Well. "Rinoa! What do we do now!"

Rinoa's eyes had no pupils or irises, but Angel could feel that she was looking at her as she turned her head slowly to face her – before her mouth moved, whispering a single word.

_Life._

Angel looked back to Squall, blinking in confusion, before looking back down to Rinoa. "I don't understand! You killed him!"

_Life._ Rinoa mouthed again, weakly lifting her hand to point it to Squall.

_I don't get it! You just tore his soul out! How am I supposed to revive him if he doesn't have a soul anymore…_ Angel's mind screamed out – before her brown eyes widened. Spinning around, she looked up at the source of the intense sound and light she had used as a beacon to find Rinoa and Squall – the Well of Souls. The Souls were being released at an exponential rate, the light now glowing all around them, filling the air with the floating bulbs of light.

_Squall's soul must have been put into the Well._ Angel's mind finally realised. _The Queen wouldn't have missed the opportunity to lose such a powerful soul to the ether._

The finality evident, Angel pushed off Rinoa and skidded to Squall's corpse, ramming her hands into his chest, white light flashing around her as she cast Full-Life on his body.

She was unprepared for what would happen next.

Suddenly the lights that had been floating around her were all rushing towards Squall's corpse, rebounding off each other in their mad dash to enter a viable, usable shell that was being resurrected. They even passed straight through Angel, the feeling leaving a warm sensation through the body-part they passed through – but that didn't stop the horror she was feeling.

"W-What have I done!" She screamed as Squall's body was suddenly lifted off the ground, pushing her off him to begin to spin up into the air, being lifted high into the sky as soul after soul passed through the body, causing him to jolt and shake as each soul seemed to try him on before being expelled or escaping of their own free will.

Rinoa could not help, even if she wanted to. All she could do was lie there, watching as Squall's body was engulfed in the light, and hope that her luck would keep holding out…

- -

The light-show above them did not distract the two Zell's battle. Indeed, it seemed to have been it's beginning – like gunslingers of the old west the two doppels had stared at each other, each wrapped in their own personal hatred of the other – Zell for killing his daughter, Azel for being such a thorn in his side – before the sudden explosion of sound and light had made them both jump – and race straight towards each other.

Zell had run, screaming, straight at Azel, his left fist pulled back as Azel ran forward, pulling his right fist back to let it fly – as Zell span _around it_, rolling around Azel's body to slam his drawn-back elbow into the back of his head, sending the Heart sprawling forward into the shattered glass.

Sliding on his belly for a few seconds, Azel rolled with his momentum to flip up to his feet – before suddenly letting fly with a mule-kick which took Zell straight in the stomach, his feet and arms being blown forward as his body was lifted off the ground as Azel twisted his body and leg around – to slam Zell's body into the glass, the glass shattering as his back was crushed into it.

Azel had planned to pull his foot back – if two gauntlets, one silver, the other red, hadn't reached from the crater to grasp it and hold it to the chest it was pressed down on. As soon as his hands had grabbed the leg, Zell's body rolled backwards, his legs slamming into Azel's back and flipping him forward so that his face hit the glass. Now Zell was sitting on his Doppel's spine, his knees digging into the lower-back as he pulled the Heart's leg up high, almost lifting his abdomen off the ground as he tried to tear it off the body…

Before Azel rolled to the side suddenly, bucking Zell off him for a moment – and giving the Heart enough of a chance to tear his leg out of his vice-like grip and, spinning on his back like a break-dancer, rammed his feet into Zell's face, sending the SeeD flying up and out of the crater into the field beyond.

Rolling back and onto his feet, Azel leapt out of the crater – to suddenly be slammed out of the sky as Zell tackled him out of mid-air, causing the two of them to fly straight over the crater – and straight into the ground beyond, Azel's back smashing straight through the glass to dig through the disturbed earth beneath, a trench of immensive proportions being dug into the ground from the sheer force of the brutal tackle.

Their momentum slowing, Zell followed it over his adversary, flipping up and out of the trench to hit the ground in a run. Skidding to a stop, his boots squealing on the glass beneath, he spun on his heel – to see Azel scrambling out of the trench right behind him, dirt and glass rolling off his tanned back, his scorched blond hair now filled with it.

Baring his teeth, Zell roared at the Heart, balling his fists and taking his stance, his feet spreading and digging into the glass to find traction.

"That's it, SeeD!" Azel yelled, his voice full of glee. "We have nothing to live for anymore! We'll fight until we are both broken and defeated!"

Zell couldn't answer. He simply roared again, before taking off in a sprint, his boots hammering into the earth as he leapt forward, slashing his feet out in a leaping kick. His boot sailed straight past the Heart who ducked underneath it, allowing Zell to land – and swing his fist around, Azel catching the hand and wrapping his arm around it, locking it underneath his armpit before slamming his fist into Zell's ribs, causing the SeeD to roar in pain – before smashing his head into Azel's face, the Heart screaming out in agony as his nose erupted in a gush of blood, releasing Zell's arm – and allowing him to step forward and _slam_ his foot into Azel's mid-section, the kick blowing Azel right off his feet and to his back.

Azel was trying to ignore two parts of pain, his nose and his stomach – before his eyes widened and he rolled to one side, Zell's knee slamming straight through the glass where Azel had just been lying. Jumping to his feet, Azel came at the rising Zell swinging, his left fist hooking across – to be blocked by Zell's arm, the SeeD reaching out to grab Azel's hand and twist it around at an awkward angle. Bellowing in agony,

Azel was forced to run around as Zell placed his hand on his elbow and tried to break his forearm. Running around, Azel suddenly flipped his body around in the _opposite_ direction of his bent hand, unbending it – and grabbing the hand holding onto him, countering the counter. Stepping forward, Azel pulled Zell's arm forward to throw him off-balance and into Azel's right fist – which Zell deftly brushed to one side with his free hand and, placing his left leg inside Azel's leg, pushed his body forward – and slammed Azel into the ground hard, his back being crushed against the floor with jarring force.

Rolling with it, however, Azel's legs bunched up – and slashed straight up into Zell's chin, smashing the SeeD away from him and allowing him to roll to standing, Zell forced to stumble back from the ground-attack.

Light flooded their destroyed arena. The shattered floor crunched beneath their feet as they began to circle one another slowly, trying to find the weak point in each others' stance. The fight was so close it was unbearable. Azel's strength and speed was being matched by Zell at every point – indeed, Zell seemed to have the upper-hand.

Zell's baby-blue eyes were as empty as bottomless pits as he stared upon his daughter's killer. The only thing in his mind was revenge, utter and complete – his life was moot compared to the sight of this man's blood staining the floor, his baby-girl's death avenged. His love for her had been that complete – in the short time they had been together, they had bonded like a father and a daughter would bond, possible even more-so if it was possible. And now she was dead, lifeless, her ashes scattered to the wind and her body lying limp on the floor. And her killer was _standing right in front of him…_

Zell suddenly exploded from his position, covering the tiny ground between them in less then a second to slam his left fist into Azel's stomach, blowing the man off his feet – before his head was jarred to the side as Zell's right elbow slashed across his face – before his left hand stabbed straight out, hammering his palm into Azel's bare chest and blowing him off his feet once more, sending him flying away across the ground.

Racing after the man, Zell watched as he finally hit the ground, skidding along the smooth, cracked surface – before rolling backwards to his feet and standing up to spin around, his left foot raising into the air in a round-house kick. Zell applied the brakes – but was unable to come to a stop in time thanks to the smoothness of the glass, Azel's foot smashing into Zell's cheek and sending his body spinning, rolling through the air to crash into the ground on his belly. He had no time to scream as he tried to scramble to his hands and knees – before Azel's feet crushed into his back, slamming straight into his spine and causing immense pain for the SeeD.

Zell's anguished roar almost overtook the roar of the pillar of light a few miles away – before he span himself around, willpower giving him strength as Azel was thrown off-balance without warning- to receive a kick to the sternum, the boot slamming straight into Azel's chest and blowing the wind out of the Heart, causing him to fly off once more, allowing Zell enough of a chance to get up.

Finding his feet, his hand to his back and his body bent like an old man, Zell fought through the pain and looked up – to see Azel rushing straight for him, having recovered quicker and taking a bead on him, his Orihalcon-covered arm pulled back to punch forward – if Zell hadn't suddenly jumped into the air, his body rolled over Azel's launched fist, his legs whipping around – to smash into Azel's back, sending the Heart flying forward into an upturned heap of dirt with an explosion of dust, smashing straight into it and digging himself in from the sheer force and speed he was travelling at.

Zell landed on his back, bellowing out in agony – before whipping his legs around and flipping his body up to his feet. He would not rest until his adversary was dead at his feet – no matter how much pain he felt.

Running forward towards the heaped dirt, Zell blinked suddenly – before the entire ground shook as a massive earthquake rocked the world around him. Shattered glass and clumped of dirt, rock and metal suddenly filled the air as entire sections of the earth seemed to jumped from the ground, like a collection of square blocks jumping up and down within their box.

Zell's body was shaken by the Quake – before he finally forced his body to face the earth and, slashing his fists down, slammed them into the earth, digging them in deep – and holding on for dear life, riding the paramagical attack out as it jarred and jolted his body violently.

When the magic finally subsided, Zell yanked his fists out of the ground – before vomiting unceremoniously, his stomach still rolling from the powerful attack – before a fist suddenly smashed into the side of his head, a hand grabbing his hair and pulling his fist into a dusty knee, a crack and blinding pain signifying his nose was well and truly broken.

Reaching out with a shaking hand, Zell grabbed the edge of Azel's abdomen armour with his gauntlet, feebly grasping at it as his face was slammed into the knee once more – before his fingers curled around the armour and, gripping it tightly, yanked it viciously forward – into his other fist, the gauntlet slamming right into Azel's crotch.

The Orihalcon protected Azel's naughty-bits from receiving any serious damage – but the hit was not taken lightly by the armour, and Azel's howl was heard for miles around as he fell to his knees, cradling his groin in his hands as he looked up to Zell with a dirty expression on his face – before Zell's upper-cut smashed straight into his nose, breaking it even more and sending him to the floor.

The area in which they were fighting had suddenly changed dramatically. Now large clumps of earth had been uplifted, revealing the sheets of steel armour that the Gaian base had used to protect against any paramagical attacks, lain underneath ten feet of soil and the bones of dead warriors. The glass had been mixed with the distrupted earth, resulting in a deadly ground – already they both bore massive scratches from the glass-ground – now they would have to contend with it stabbing into their skin.

Not that Zell minded. Pain was the least thing in his mind as he reached out and grabbed Azel's leg, Zell's upper-cut having knocked Azel out momentarily. Pulling the man down off the little uprise they were on at the moment, Zell dragged him down to where the ground was a little more level – before hefting the leg hard, lifting the Heart up, arcing over the SeeD through the air to whip into the ground flat on his face.

Azel resumed consciousness immediately as screaming pain filled every piece of skin not covered by the nigh-to-indestructible armour. His chest, face and neck were covered in tiny pieces of shattered glass, the pieces standing out on the tanned flesh as the light reflected from their dusty surfaces. His bellow of pain turned quickly into an agonised groan as he pulled at his leg, yanking the unprepared Zell off-balance – to stab his other foot into Zell's face, the heel smashing straight into Zell's chin and dislocating his jaw as he fell back, slamming into the dusty ground with his own scream.

Unlike Azel, however, Zell's clothes – worn and battered as they were – were largely untouched, protecting him from the scattered glass all over the ground.

The two fighters now on the ground, moaning in agony, Zell rolled backwards on the ground to come into a crouch, a hand to his chin to hold his mouth together – before he suddenly and viciously wrenched his mandible back into place, opening and closing his mouth to test it's tenderness, keeping his eyes on his enemy the entire time.

Azel had crawled over to a sheet of exposed metal, moaning the entire time, his body leaving a bloody trail on the dusty red ground – before rolling over, exposing the full extent of his damage. His muscled chest had been perforated entirely, the glass sticking out in all directions. The pieces didn't seem that large – but then, like an iceberg, the surface did not always tell the truth.

Zell picked himself up slowly, his breathing heavy. His strength was waning – but it seemed he had defeated his opponent. He kept his eyes on Azel, however, making sure he would catch any tricks or sly manoeuvres that the Heart might pull off – his mind replayed the deceit by the Heart Seifer that Squall's Moomba recording had told him about. He would not let his guard down until the Heart was less then ash.

Azel seemed defeated, however. His chest rose and fell slowly, his eyes closed, his body trembling slightly with each wheezed breath. The chunks of glass in his skin oozed blood, lines running down his skin to pool underneath him on the dirt-stained steel that he lay on.

Zell approached the Heart slowly, his boots crunching on the glass, the roar from the pillar of light behind him seeming to slowly fade as his entire focus drew upon Azel, his breath, his movement, everything that made him.

Azel's eyes opened – to see Zell standing over him. His lips twisted into a bloody sneer as he watched Zell simply stand there. "Whats wrong…hero?" Azel muttered, coughing slightly. "…Loose your nerve…already?"

Zell's blue eyes narrowed at the words before he knelt over the Heart, lifting his fist up high before swinging it down –

To be caught by Azel's hand as it flew up, catching the SeeD off-guard!

Azel's sneer grew larger as his hand tightened around the silver gauntlet in his grasp, lifting his feet up to shoot them right into Zell's stomach, blasting the breath from Zell's body like lightening. The powerful stab was retracted almost immediantly, and Zell fell forward, gasping, as Azel pulled himself out from underneath him.

Pushing himself to his feet, wobbling only slightly, the Heart lifted a hand – to begin picking bits of glass from his face and chest, grimacing with each shard removed. The shards had been small, nowhere near enough to do serious damage – his skin, however, was pock-marked with bloody indents which bled freely, rolling down his skin and over the Orihalcon armour on his legs. The man had just taken a _face full of glass_ and he was brushing them off as if they were nothing!

Zell tried to move – before a foot, seeming to be carrying all the gravity in the world, pushed itself onto his head, keeping it pinned on the ground. "When I'm finished." Azel muttered quietly, continuing to pull the glass out of his skin, dropping the bloody shards down in front of Zell so he could watch them land on the steel.

Zell tried to struggle, to no avail. Grasping the Heart's leg had worked before – but now it was unmovable, like it was made of stone. _What the crap! I was all over him a few minutes ago!_ Zell's mind screamed as he placed both his hands flat down on the steel and tried to push up, his head only being squeezed into the metal even more as Azel applied more pressure.

It was beginning to hurt before the pressure suddenly vanished, Zell's down-ward pressure suddenly causing him to leap high into the air, back flipping back – to land on another upraised piece of metal on his hands and feet, like a cat. Looking down, Zell hissed in anger – Azel was standing there, serene, his skin still covered in the bloody marks of the glass.

The smirk that had been there previously had made an encore as Azel lifted his left hand to run his fingers through his scorched blond hair. "Every time we meet, SeeD, you surprise me…our first meeting, that thing with the tree-trunk shocked me completely. It showed you had my imagination. Then you suddenly appear out of the blue, your body completely regenerated when I made sure it was ash. And now, you and your little posse of miscreants have…" He lifted his hand, counting off the points with his fingers. "…One, beaten back our army. Two, beaten me back on two occasions. And three – destroyed my Queen." His smirk widened even more as he dropped the hand, before shrugging. "Not bad, I suppose."

"Less talk, more fight." Zell muttered back, finished rubbing the side of his head where the boot had been and standing upright, balling his fists and squaring off.

"C'mon…we've got all the time in the world now." Azel snorted. "It's not like we have to worry about the souls anymore…the Well has been destroyed as well. It seems, in all circumstances, your mission is a complete and resounding success."

"Just blows, having to admit I'm better then you, huh?" Zell bit back.

"Ah…but then, your mission parameters never included that everybody had to remain alive at the end of it, did they?" Azel countered, lifting his hand to waggling his finger at his double. "At rhe end of the day you've won the war…but this is one battle you won't walk away from. You'll die here a hero martyr, just like you did before."

"I'm shaking in my booties." Zell retorted. "Now put up or shut up."

Azel sighed, rolling his eyes. "Gods, Zell, haven't you ever heard of drama! That was the part where you say 'I'm going to destroy you and save the world', or some bullshit."

"Former, yes. Latter, I couldn't really care about right now."

Azel chuckled at that. "Oh yeah, the girl. You know, she actually kicked a lot of ass. I was impressed. Especially by the way you two fought together. You actually had me concerned that you could beat me…" Azel's baby-blue eyes suddenly narrowed as his voice lost it's joviality completely. "But now you're all alone. The computer geek and his bitch has fallen. I can't even sense your Sorceress anymore. And your girlfriend scampered ages ago. Possibly the only smart one amongst you..."

"I'm not alone..." Zell replied suddenly, his voice chillingly clear.

That made Azel blink in mute surprise. Not at the interruption…but at the complete conviction of Zell's words. It was like he knew someone who was behind him, someone who still had his back. But there was no-one anymore.

"…She's still with me." Zell finished. "And she'll help me beat you right into the ground where you belong."

That made Azel laugh. "Wha – the girl? The girl's _ghost_ is going to help you?" His laughter was short-lived as he twirled his finger around his ear. "Gods, SeeD, I think I've hit you in the head one too many times…"

"You think so? Come and find out." Zell replied calmly.

This made Azel pause again.

Zell's eyes narrowed. "C'mon. Let's go. What are you waiting for? A gold-plated invitation? Sooner or later you're going to have to attack. Or maybe you're the one who's supposed to be afraid? Afraid that I'm going to really beat you."

Azel growled at that – causing Zell to smile wickedly, the smile making the Heart's blood boil. "Fine." The Heart spat, spreading his feet wide and lifting his hands. "You want me to fight with all stops pulled, then I will. Prepare to meet your maker."

Zell only replied once, the two words signalling the final battle between the two of them.

"Hurry up."

- -

Azel exploded from his position beneath Zell, his legs flicking out from beneath him to stab forward, the leaping kick effortlessly dodged by Zell as he ducked around it – only to receive a slashing punch to the chops as Azel landed, his body flowing with the first attack to launch the second one effortlessly. His body rolling with the blow, Zell span on his heel – to swing his foot around, his legs sailing out to slam into Azel's raised forearm.

Lowering the leg quickly, Zell stepped forward with a vicious blow delivered directly to Azel's stomach, his Adamantine-covered fist hammered directly into the Heart's hard flesh, causing beads of sweat and blood to spray from the body as Azel tightened his abdominals to absorb the blow – before head butting the SeeD viciously, his teeth bared as he rammed his forehead into Zell's face. Not allowing Zell to fall back, Azel's hand grabbed Zell's shirt-front and pulled him into a knee to the stomach, Zell's breath blown out of him once more as the knee rammed into his guts once, twice, thrice –

Before his hand moved into the line of fire, stopping the knee dead in its tracks as his other hand grabbed Azel's throat. The Heart choked out a surprised gasp – before grabbing the gauntlet by the wrist and twisting it away from the throat, spinning Zell's body around so his arm was trapped behind his back, pulling up to almost touch his neck, his shoulder threatening to pop out of place.

Zell groaned in protest – before he suddenly kicked off the steel floor, ramming his back into Azel and knocking him off-balance, allowing the SeeD enough time to recover his pinned arm and, turning to face his opponent, drop to the floor and slash his legs out in a scissor-kick, the kick taking Azel's legs out from beneath him and causing him to land on his backside on the steel floor with a metallic _clang_.

Getting up quickly, watching Azel do the same, Zell blinked hard, his arm throbbing from the twisted position it had been in previously. He looked about him quickly, gathering his bearings.

The floor on which they stood was not just a piece of armour for the base – it was an actual floor of the base, having been unearthed by the Quake as it had rolled through the ground. The walls had all but been obliterated – only a few remained, and the foundations were showing within those. Long, thick retaining poles jutted out from the tops of the broken walls, plaster and concrete still hanging off them.

Zell's eyes narrowed. _Poles…_

Before Zell's body was smashed away by Azel, his slight drop of concentration costing him dearly. Grabbing the SeeD by his lapels, covering the small distance between them in nano-seconds, the Heart threw his head back far – before ramming it directly into Zell's face with hammering speed, the crack rendering Zell stupid as he stumbled back – before Azel's spin-kick slammed straight into his chest, sending the SeeD flying back, _through_ a retaining wall and out the other end.

Composing himself with surprising speed, Zell managed to put his feet down on the steel floor and slow himself, his boots skidding as he leaned his body forward to ease his backward momentum, one hand on the floor for balance – whilst the other held something which made Azel smirk in mute surprise.

A length of iron pole, grabbed as Zell had flown through the concrete. It was about an inch thick and was a good five feet in length. Small bits of rock and plaster still clung to the slightly rusted surface, but it looked sound as Zell held it behind him, his arm outstretched as he finally came to a halt.

"What's that?" Azel called with a laugh. "A prop? C'mon, aren't I humiliating you enough?"

But Zell didn't reply as he stood, his teeth bared as he grimaced from the blow he'd just received – before calming himself and bringing the iron staff forward. Holding it in two hands, he began to spin it around slowly, windmilling it in front of him as if to create a circular shield before his body. He span it slowly, the staff moving lithely from one gauntlet to the other, his eyes ice-cold behind the moving wall of iron – before he pulled his head back sharply, beckoning his Doppelganger forward.

Azel laughed again – before suddenly running forward.

Zell's spinning stopped as abruptly as Azel took off, and standing back, held the weapon with both hands. Az Azel pulled his left fist back, Zell lifted the pole and swung it sharply to the Heart's right – to be blocked by Azel's Orihalcon-clad forearm, the Heart smirking as the forearm was pushed in by the sheer strength of the blow – before Zell suddenly twisted his entire weight and deftly swung the staff in the _opposite direction_, to Azel's completely unguarded left.

Thanks to the sheer strength of the first blocked attack, Azel had been travelling slightly to the left, his arm pulled back for a strike – which had no chance of being delivered as Zell's staff slashed right into his neck, striking between the neck and the clavicle, Azel's blue eyes widening in shock, his mouth gaping open in a choked gasp of pain – before he was sent flying, slamming into the steel floor and sliding across it to hammer into a wall, the already weak concrete bucking under his considerable momentum.

Shaking his head, his neck feeling as stiff as a plank of wood, Azel looked up -to criss-cross his arms above his head as Zell's iron staff was slashed right down, Zell's leaping attack causing Azel's body to _buckle the steel floor underneath it with a shattering bang_ – before Zell simply pulled the iron rod out from where it was resting on the X-ed arms and stabbed the tip into Azel's chest like a pool-cue, the brief stab sending the Heart right through the wall he'd just landed against.

Back flipping away from the massive dent which he'd just created in the floor, Zell span the staff in his arms again – before holding it behind him, his other hand outstretched, his legs spread, ready for anything.

Before him, behind the dent in the floor, the stone wall finally fell right over, revealing the pillar of white light which had been hiding behind it. The light was slowly spreading all over the sky, enveloping the clouds and causing all the shadow around them to slowly melt away. If Zell had been playing attention, he would also note that there were small lights floating through the air, the pyre-flies having slowly been flying out of their captivity to await whatever happened to free souls.

A pile of rubble shifted slightly, making Zell's muscles tense – before a rock suddenly flew at him from the pile.

His hand deftly slapped the rock from the air, sending it flying out into a small cluster of souls, the pyre-flies scattering a few seconds _after_ the rock had travelled through them.

Azel suddenly reared from the pile of rubble, his hand clenched – as he ran forward, throwing rock after rock, a barrage of missiles assaulting Zell.

Zell began to slap them all out of the air, each one delivered with more and more force, the Adamantine on his gauntlets protesting with clangs and rings as each rock was sent hurtling out of harms way – before Azel was finally upon him, leaping forward with his arms outstretched.

Zell slid back on his heels to create some distance between them as he flicked the iron staff over his back, the length flipping over his shoulder into his awaiting hand and stabbing out – to be caught by Azel's hand!

The two Dinchts now holding the same pole, they glared at each other over the five foot radius – before Azel suddenly pushed forward, forcing Zell to stumble back a few feet. Zell regained his footing instantly – to push back against Azel, forcing Azel back as well.

There was almost a comical sense to it as each Dinct took turns trying to knock the other over in a reverse-tug-of-war, the objective being to push hard enough so the other would fall flat on his back, leaving the pole behind him – but it was only when they finally pushed at the same time that the game was finished. The make-shift iron staff, having decided it wasn't made for this kind of punishment, began to bend in the middle as each Dintch pushed forward, the five-foot gap suddenly closed into a foot-wide gap as each Zell was left holding a U-shaped iron pole.

The humour was lost to them, however, as they glared at each other over the foot-wide gap. Each man held their end of the pole tightly, as if to never let go, their fists crackling slightly within their respective protective coverings.

Each man was, for lack of a better word, a mess. Blood, sweat and grime covered them both. Zell's clothes were beyond battered, his shirt having been ripped and torn by the trips though the ground and walls, as well as being pulled and yanked by Azel. His skin was scored with nicks, marks and cuts, burns and welts. His nose was most certainly broken, and his lips had been split several times. He could taste the copper in his mouth too, having bitten his tongue and the insides of his cheeks during the battle sometime.

Azel's body looked worse, if possible. Having survived a Flare head-on, his tanned chest heaved as the scorch marks bled as freely as the innumerable cuts and gashes made when Zell slapped him into the glass. Every visible piece of flesh had been cut – he even still had a few small pieces left in the skin here and there, glinting in the bright light of the souls around them. His nose had also been broken, and large welts and long, ugly purple bruises had appeared where Zell had smacked and stabbed him with his staff.

Both Dinchts had fist-shaped welts all over their bodies, their tough skin accepting the gauntlets each other wore on their fists with little objection apart from yellow and purple bruises. Each man was breathing heavily, having pulled all stops out in the battle – and, amazingly, Zell had been holding his own the entire time. Azel had been shocked at first – but then he'd just accepted it. At least he was a challenge.

Zell's gritted teeth finally opened as he spoke in growled tones. "I cant believe you look like me. Even the sight of that tattoo disgusts me."

Azel's smirk infuriated Zell even more. Was everything a joke to him? "Like it? Got it in a harem in Crisp while we were recruiting."

"You don't deserve to wear it!" Zell suddenly shouted, dropping his half of the bent staff – to slam his gauntlet into the side of Azel's face, flames licking out from the inside of his palm as he slapped Azel's face hard, snapping the Heart's head across…

…As smoke poured from the black tattoo, the smell of searing flesh filling the air to overcome the smell of sweat, dirt and blood, Azel screaming as he staggered away from the SeeD, his hand coming up to cover the burn on his face.

Zell watched, his face grim, as Azel pulled his hand away – to look at the tiny bits of inked flesh melted onto the dirt and blood covering the silver metal. Zell's small Fire attack had burned the tattoo right off Azel's face, the ugly mark searing the flesh right off the muscle.

"M-my face…" Azel moaned, reaching up to touch it again, his hand trembling as he did so. "…What did you do to it!"

Zell reached up to touch his own tattoo. He knew that would get a reaction. He remembered his own reaction when he saw he'd lost his own tattoo back on the Immortal world. Losing it through the regeneration of his skin recuperating after escaping Crisp…before having it given back to him by the Immortals when they re-birthed his body.

It was him. Not a dark spot of spiked ink, but a flame that would burn eternally, showing people just who he was – unhindered by morals or social standard. Apart from the rest. Unique in every possible way, and even maybe, in a small way…

…Better then some.

Not that he saw it as that all the time – but then, he had sat back when looking at himself in the mirror occasionally and figured that he did look pretty cool with it on compared to most dull, boring faces. Even earrings and eyebrow studs can be removed – you really have to work at getting rid of something like this.

Which was why Azel was now clenching and unclenching his fists, blood splattering to the ground from the bleeding wound on his face, his blue eyes flaming with rage as he turned slowly to look up at the SeeD. "Zelll…" He hissed, his teeth clenched so hard it looked like they were about to pop out of his mouth.

"You took my baby." Zell snarled coldly. "What I just took from you was nowhere near payment." He raised his clenched fist, the blood-re gauntlet smeared with his own blood thrice over now – his own against Sam, his own when he rubbed it off his face, and Azels. "Only your dead corpse at my feet will be adequate payment, Azel – I'm fighting for my Dee, and no words, no actions, nothing you ever do can change the fact that I'll fight till my dying breath just to see you choking on your own vomit, you fuck!"

His small speech was over abruptly, however, as Azel suddenly appeared beneath him. Zell's eyes were wide as Azel's fist seemed to twist in his stomach, his outstretched hand hanging tightly over Azel's shoulder as he lifted his burned face to looked up into Zell's shocked expression.

"I told you before…" Azel snarled, the usual smirk on his face now completely gone. "…No more hesitation."

Then he pulled his fist out and, pulling it back with what seemed like infinite slowness, suddenly slashed it forward – to smash it directly into Zell's face, the punch snapping Zell's head back and causing him to flip backwards – to slam into the wall behind him, exiting out from behind it with rubble flowing through the air around him as he skidded off the steel floor – to travel through another wall, this one's being from a hallway as he flew straight through both walls of the hallway – to finally fly out into the open space of the glass desert, his spinning body still flying through the air with no sign of stopping –

Before Azel suddenly appeared in his line of trajectory with speeds unseen, jumping high – to slash his leg out, slamming it into Zell's back – and sending him flying straight back towards the base, being sent straight through the three walls he'd just gone through to skid across the steel floor, dust smoking off his body as he rebounded off the floor to his feet, still skidding from the sheer power of the kick – to suddenly come to a stop at another wall behind him, hitting it with his back and falling to his hands and knees.

Zell's breathing was erratic, his eyes wide as pain shot through his body at an alarming rate. _His speed…his strength…they're so high…_ Zell thought, coughing suddenly and lifting his silver gauntlet to his mouth, coughing something up from the pit of his belly – before pulling his hand back to reveal the sticky warm blood covering the dirty palm. _What the crap! We were even not a few seconds ago! Has he been toying with me the entire time!_

His thoughts were short-lived, however, as he looked up to the sounds of boots quickly thumping on the steel floor – before his view was obstructed by a Orihalcon-clad hand, the hand slamming directly into his temple and sending his head smashing into the wall he'd hit, his entire head suddenly embedded into the concrete as his body twitched, unable to comprehend this much pain all at once…before Azel suddenly began to sprint along the wall, _pulling Zell's head through the wall with him_, leaving a trail through the concrete as he pushed the head before him, Zell's body sliding defencelessly along for the ride – before the wall mercifully ended, Azel throwing the SeeD's limp body forward as they finally left the steel floor of the ruined base and clenched his fists together, lifting them high above his head – to slash them down into Zell's stomach, the SeeD flying directly into the WarWorld dirt, glass and sand wet with blood flying up as a crater of stupendous magnitude suddenly grew from around his body, the earth cracking loudly in protest from the immense amount of pressure being put onto it.

Azel flipped over the crater, landing outside it before walking to the edge and looking down into the centre, where Zell lay.

His spiky blonde hair was covered with the white concrete, his tattooed side having born the full brunt of the push through the wall. His eyes were closed; his arms limp by his sides as blood leaked from his mouth, forming a slowly growing pool by the side of his head. He was not dead, however, just knocked out – his chest rose and fell slowly, each shuddering breath an aggravation to Azel in every respect.

Stepping over the edge, Azel slid down the curved slope of the crater before walking forward, moving towards the SeeD cautiously. Although having revealed the true extent of his power, he was wary – the SeeD had survived Final Death, after all. Nothing he did should be taken for granted.

This was why the Heart was astonished as he grabbed Zell's shirt-front and lifted him from the ground, holding him up with one arm, regarding him in the light of the souls now floating copiously around them. Blood dribbled out of Zell's mouth as his head lolled forward, his arms and legs hanging loosely beneath him, a puppet with it's strings cut.

Shaking him didn't bring any reaction, Zell's arms and legs simply flopping about beneath him, and Azel frowned with anger. "You're going to make me kill you in your sleep! Wake up already! I'm not done dealing your punishment yet!"

It was then that Zell's left hand suddenly snaked out – to be caught by Azel's hand, the hand gripping Zell's wrist tightly, catching the sneaky appendage as Zell's eyes opened, grunting in surprise and causing Azel to grin wickedly. "That's better…" He growled…

Before Zell suddenly opened his right palm and turned it to face Azel, a Blizara spouting from his palm right into Azel's face, the ball of hard, cold permafrost smashing right into Azel's face, forcing him to release Zell and fly back to hammer into the wall of the crater.

Zell fell to the floor, landing hard with a cry of pain. His entire body was wracking with pain – it had taken all his willpower to keep from attacking as Azel had lifted him up, and even when he'd figured Azel had been duped, the Heart continued to fill Zell with dread. Even now, Zell turned his head to look back as Azel pulled himself from his hole in the dirt and shake off the remnants of the ice, spying Zell lying on the floor and walking forward toward him.

Zell needed to put some space between them. He needed to find a way to escape. So, his hands weakly scrabbling at the dirt, he began to try and crawl away slowly. Pulling his battered body forward a foot at a time using nothing but his arms – his legs didn't want to work, for some reason – he tried to get away from the Heart, to find some time to heal himself, to recuperate and figure out what to do next…

…Before a boot suddenly slammed into his side, a rib audibly snapping and causing Zell to howl in pain.

"There's something wrong with you." Azel muttered, looking down at the SeeD as he kicked him again, hearing another rib go with muted satisfaction. "There's something wrong with all you Gaians. You keep…_trying._ Like it's a fucking drug or something. 'If I try, I'll succeed.' Bullshit." He kicked Zell again, causing the SeeD to cough up some more blood, the crimson liquid spilling to the ground easily. "Trying never helped anybody. It's only when all the odds are stacked in your favour that you truly succeed. I mean, look at me. The Queen picked me because I ass-raped all the other Crisps who even looked my way. She bestowed on me more power then you could ever imagine, gave me an army to control…"

Suddenly, he grabbed Zell's shoulder and flipped him onto his back before straddling him and holding his arms down, smirking into Zell's bloodstained face. "…Now look at you. Pissy powers. In charge of – what? A traitor, a gothic slacker, an angsty gunblader, a geek with a girlfriend complex and a weak as shit Sorceress. You take on my army only to lose massive amounts of your men, falling right into our plans – then you have the audacity to fight me all by yourself." He chuckled, as if the entire concept was amusing to him. "I mean, look at yourself now! You were doing so well, trying so hard…but a few punches I _don't_ pull…and you fall like shit that's been stacked too high."

Zell tried to move – but he couldn't. The bastard's grip was too tight, his weight seeming to be unmoveable. All he could do was look up – to spy something shiny within the dirt of the crater.

"…You couldn't even save yourself. You make me sick." Azel growled, his voice rising with menace with each venom-filled word. "Which is why…I'm going to make you suffer right till your last choked breath!"

Zell's hands were suddenly free – before an encompassing grip suddenly enclosed itself around his neck, his windpipe closing into itself as the grip crushed his neck inward. Azel was going to choke him to death!

His hands pushed up to Azel's face, the Heart having to move his head to stop from having his eyes gouged out – before the hands began to scrabble at the Orihalcon-clad gauntlets around his victim's neck, fighting desperately to find purchase that wasn't there as Azel pushed his thumbs right into Zell's Adam's apple, forcing it back into his spine…

- -

Back at the Well, Angel was fighting not to scream as Squall's body was continually invaded again and again by souls.

The roar had overcome all her senses, the light overwhelming as Squall's body had become nothing but a pinprick of black within the encompassing white, the black winking in and out of existence like a strobe-light as soul after soul flashed through him, never seeming to stop, passing through his body again and again and again…

Rinoa was simply watching and praying. Praying that her luck, having been junctioned with her most powerful magic, would hold out as long as it already had. The Luck Junction was a tricky thing – the fickle finger of fate rarely fell on the person with a powerful Luck junction, the scales tipped in the favour of good fortune. There was always the chance, however, that the scales would inadvertently spill in the opposite direction at random occasions – the misfortune of having such good fortune. Nothing lasted forever.

_Please Squall…please come back to me…_ She thought to herself as she watched his body continue to rise, further then she could fly in her condition, Angel's kneeling form the only other thing in her sight. _…You…you promised me…you promised we'd go to the sailing…when this is all over…you've never broken one of your promises…not ever…_

It was then that the form of a green Ragnarok suddenly soared through the Well's spouting souls, starlting both Rinoa and Angel as it appeared like a dragon leaping from a waterfall of light.

Banking around sharply, Selphie looked down to the two forms beside the shooting stream of light on the ground on her vid-screen and looked back to the two men behind her. "How's the repairs coming?"

"All weapons are offline, ma'am, and all the bottom hoverpads have been scrubbed off the board…" One of her Estharian co-pilots reported. "…But everything else is in operational order. The landing gear was tucked just underneath the damage area, and the self-repair bots have maintained their working order. We can land and pick them up, if you wish."

"Alrighty, lets do that." Selphie muttered, turning to look back to the screen. "They look like they need a good days rest…as we're doing that I'll take out that bucket-thingy with a det-charge and stop it from doing whatever it's doing…"

"Ma'am! We have a lifeform floating in the air, about a hundred meters above us!" The second Estharian shouted suddenly, tapping a few buttons to bring the image onto Selphie's screen…

…Who gasped in shock as she recognised the body, jolting as each and every cluster of souls slashed through it. "Squall!"

"Ma'am, I'm not reading lifesigns…no, wait…hang on, yes…no…yes…no…" The Estharian grunted in anger. "The instruments must have been damaged by the Ultima. It's showing a constant rate of life, then death, followed by life again. Almost as if he's dying and being revived, over and over and over…"

"Whaaa…" Selphie squealed, grabbing her hair and moaning. "I don't know what to do! Is he dead or not! I don't even know if we ought to grab him if he's like that!"

"Ma'am, we ought to focus on Rinoa and the other SeeD beneath us before focusing on the Commander." The first Estharian piped in. "Once we have them on board, we can concentrate on how to rescue the Commander."

Selphie pouted at the idea…but saw no other viable choice. Who knew what might happen if someone went near Squall as that beam of light had him – who could tell if the same thing wouldn't happen to them too? "…Alright, take us down…" She said quietly, the Estharians obeying immediately, the green Ragnarok flying down to land unceremoniously beside Rinoa and Angel.

"_Beep .Welcome to WarWorld. Temperature, 34C. Please watch your step as you disembark."_ The AI peeped to the three SeeDs as they bustled out of the cockpit.

- -

Back to Azel and Zell, Zell was running out of his already very low options. His strength had waned to the point that struggling was no use, and his breath was already running out. Already he could feel the burn in his lungs as they desperately searched for oxygen to feed off, his eyes spotting wildly as darkness began to creep into the edges of his vision.

He needed to fight back somehow…he needed to beat the Heart off so he could recuperate…but he couldn't beat him with his fists…even now he couldn't cast magic…he was helpless, like Azel had said…

Then his eyes widened more as he looked behind him – to spy the shiny thing he'd seen before.

Azel was too busy trying to choke Zell to realise he was outstretching his hand, reaching for the object half-buried in the dirt with his hand, his fingertips only slightly grazing the edges of the object.

_It's just out of reach!_ Zell's mind screamed at him. _For fucks sake, I've got to reach it!_

His hand was grasping for it violently now, digging at the dirt in a bid to reach for it, his gauntlet's fingertips snicking the edges – before his eyes widened…

And he pulled his hand back so his wrist was at a ninety-degree angle.

Almost immediantly there was a slight buzz in the palm of his hand – before Rinoa's broken Blaster's Edge suddenly flew into his awaiting palm, his magnetically charged gauntlet holding onto it like glue!

The sheer force of Rinoa's ascension to the top of the base must've been so strong it had even sucked stuff from beyond the Tidus within the lower levels. Her Blaster's Edge must've been pulled along with all that debris, and by sheer chance, have been pulled up to the surface when Azel had cast the Quake on the base.

Azel's eyes were wide as he suddenly saw something flash from the corner of his eye, his concentration on Zell's red face and bulging eyes so great he didn't actually realise something was amiss until it was too late – and the razor-sharp discus on the Blaster Edge was embedded in his shoulder, cutting right past the Orihalcon armour on the curve of his shoulder and slicing deep into the nape of his neck

The immense grip on Zell's neck was released finally, allowing him to kick Azel away from him feebly and roll away, coughing and gasping, one hand to his neck to massage the air back into his throat as Azel's screams and spurts of blood filled the air. The Heart had managed to stumbled back onto his feet, away from Zell, and grasp the discus with his Orihalcon-clad hand, trying desperately to pull it out, bellowing in anguished pain as he tried desperately to dislodge it from his chest.

Zell had had enough. He'd been holding back, because what he was about to do had to work, otherwise he was done for – but, seeing as sheer luck had only just worked for him, he figured he had nothing to lose now.

So, willing himself to his feet, one hand still to his throat, he spread his feet wide – and tensed all his muscles, blue static beginning to form as his adrenaline flowed in torrents through his veins, his teeth gritting as his feet were suddenly crushed into the soft earth – before his own screams filled the air, his guttural battle-cry taking over Azel's screams of pain enough to garner the Heart's attention.

The Heart's eyes went wide, recognising what the SeeD was about to do – before suddenly gripping the vicious discus embedded in his chest with his hand and, pulling with a supreme effort, _tore _it from his body, the slice spouting blood all over the floor and his body as he threw the weapon to the floor – and also clenched his fist, his other arm hanging limp at his side, useless as he begun to draw on the power within him as well.

Zell forced back the feelings of distress and elation as he watched Azel draw on his own Limit Break – the sheer fact that he had been reduced to using a desperation attack as well signified two things – that he had the power to do so after receiving such a vicious wounding, and that he could still fight after receiving such a wounding.

Zell would not have a second chance at this anyways – he needed this to work. So, spreading his feet wide, he crouched down on his right, in the perfect sprint-race stance, blue electricity lacing all around his body as he opened his mouth to utter the first word of power. "MY!"

He lifted his right arm, sending it far back behind him, the blood-soaked Uber Ehrgiez lifted high above his body, the electricity coursing up and down it. "FINAL!"

He curled his left arm out in front of him, the power flowing around him almost completely charged…almost…almost… "HEAVEEEEENN!"

There was a sudden, shocked glance traded between the two doppelgangers as they echoed each other's words, Azel's own stance mimicking Zell's to a tee – before they suddenly exploded from their starting points, flying past each other as blurs, one dark, the other silver, each beginning their circumnavigation of WarWorld…

- - -

At the Well of Souls, Selphie was just helping Angel onto the ship as a dark blur suddenly flashed right past them, the sheer force of the blur causing the entire ship to spin on it's footings and teeter dangerously. The two Estharians, carrying a shell-shocked Sorceress on the ship's stretcher, fought desperately to keep their footing, looking back to see Angel smile and Selphie woot the blur some encouragement before speaking up…

- - -

"…What the fuck is that!" Major Almasy shouted over the beating of the Black-Hawk's rotors, pointing to a silver speck on the horizon which was growing bigger by the second.

Seifer, Quistis and Irvine all leaned out of the helicopters, now severely doubting their usefulness after such a bumpy ride and the pilot's unconvincing reports that they had 'everything under control' after such a massive blast, to look out – and cheer as the blur suddenly flashed underneath them, a trail of destruction left in it's wake as it flew over and through the WarWorld's landscape.

"That's my Zell! Booya! Go Zell-man!" Irvine shouted to the speck as it flew into the horizon…

- -

…At the bottom of the globe, two blurs travelling at speeds reaching and exceeding Mach 25 slashed past each other…

- - -

…The Ragnarok was just getting off the ground as Selphie suddenly gripped the controls hard, the dragon-ship rocking violently as a silver blur suddenly retraced it's steps underneath them, flying right past the Well and causing Selphie to frown in confusion and turned to speak…

- -

…As Irvine spoke into his radio. _"Hey, Zell can't turn around mid-Heaven, can he?"_

"No." Quistis replied over the radio. "He's moving too fast to turn around. Why?"

"_Because I think he's coming back this way."_

"What?" Quistis asked in surprise as she leaned out of the helicopter once more – to watch as a dark blur flew right underneath them, retracing the massive trench it had dug into the red earth not moments before. "What the hell…" She whispered to herself as she watched it flew off to disappear into the horizon towards the light-source that they were travelling to…

- -

The point of contact.

At the crater, the air was still. It had been less then thirty seconds since the two Dinchts had left the area, and already the wind had blown away the dust which had been kicked up by their launch. Two massive trenches, the sizes of tanker trucks on steroids, cut a channel right over the crater, starting at the centre of the crater and moving out…

The two Dinchts suddenly appeared, twin trails of dust and dirt kicking up behind them as they _passed straight through each other_ and rammed their fists into the entrances of their respective trenches, the trenches being obliterated entirely as the shockwaves of their connection seemed to rock the entire world…

Before they actually arrived.

- -

Pain.

That was all Zell could feel at the moment.

Pain, and something on top of him.

A crushing weight, something so heavy it was forcing the air out of his lungs, causing him to gasp – and eat dirt.

He desperately threw his arm out, the move seeming to take forever – it felt like he was swimming through dirt – before fresh air was finally accepted into his lungs as he pushed whatever the weight was away, a bright light also warming his face as he slowly opened his eyes…

To see Azel.

_No._

His opponent stood before him, his breathing heavy, his injured chest rising and falling as he began to stagger forward. His right arm was nowhere to be seen, his torso seeming to simply end where the shoulder was supposed to begin. Shattered, shredded muscle was all that remained, blood and fluids seeping out of it in mass quantities – but he was still standing.

His footing was irregular as he moved forward, his eyes half-lidded, his remaining arm limp by his side. His tanned flesh had also taken a pale pallor – the loss of blood was taking it's toll. It was only a matter of time until he died.

"Zell!" He cried suddenly, forcing himself to look up at the SeeD embedded within the rock and dirt, his voice laboured by heavy breathing. "I'm…not finished…with you…yet…"

Zell tried to push himself out of where he'd seemed to have been buried in the dirt – but found that his left leg felt like someone had speared a billion javelins of white-hot searing pain into it. _My Final Heaven is supposed to be a finishing move…I hit him, but he's still standing…and now I have to deal with it…_ Zell thought to himself, taking several deep breathes – before pushing himself out of the ground with a cry of agony, rolling out of the hole in the side of the crater and sliding down to come to a halt near the centre.

The results of two My Final Heaven's connecting were mind-blowing. Where there had been a ten-meter-wide crater before was now more close to a _hundred _meters, debris littering the ground around them. As Zell pushed himself to his feet, he could even swear that he saw Veroinca's body lying somewhere near, Julius close to her as usual…

"Zell…" Azel cried again, staggering forward. "…C'mon…we…have to finish this…"

Zell was completely and utterly exhausted. He was certain his leg was broken in several different places, his body was battered and beaten to a pulp, and he had very little strength left at all. He still could not believe that Azel was moving after taking so much punishment – then again, the same could be said about Zell.

"…Alright…" Zell muttered, gathering his strength. "…I'm coming."

Pushing himself to his feet, wincing at the pain shooting up his leg, he drew himself to his full 5'5" height before limping forward slowly, painfully, approaching his opponent one last time with determined courage.

Azel also staggered forward. His leg had also been shattered – but, where Zell had to deal with it, Azel had the Orihalcon to keep him together. Even if you break a bone, the Orihalcon kept your limbs intact enough to optimise performance. It had been one of the reasons he had been so strong, so fast…but now, he was on his last legs. And he _despised_ Zell for it.

The two doppels met at the still-smoking crater, slowly coming to a halt about two feet away from each other. Each man was so tired, he could barely stand up straight – but the fire in their eyes still burned with a passion unquenchable, even eyes as fatigued as they were.

Through gasped breaths, Azel spoke up as he grasped at his cleaved chest with his remaining hand, his voice quiet for the first time Zell had heard it – and with a twinge of something else. _Respect_. "…Fucking…try-hard…"

"…Yo…mama…" Zell replied with equal fatigue, one hand holding onto his leg in a bid to keep it together.

Grimacing with the effort, Azel then drew his bloody fist back, lifting it high to swing it down with enough power to knock Zell for six, Zell bowing his head as if to accept the blow without defence, Azel about to give him everything he had left –

If Zell's hand hadn't suddenly shot up to block the attack, hammering into the crook of Azel's elbow as blue static began to shoot up his body.

"No…" Azel moaned as Zell's blocking arm gripped Azel's arm, Zell's bowed head looking up – to sneer at his double as he lifted his left hand from his leg and dew it back – and began to shake it, the blood-red gauntlet beginning to vibrate wildly as static laced up and down the arm – before the vibrations grew more stable, causing the arm to begin to blur, the forearm simply fading from human eye comprehension as it vibrated at speed unimaginable.

"Knocking…"

"No…" Azel moaned as Zell pulled his fist back even further, the speeds increasing even more as the red blur simply became a swimming shape in the air, static flashing off Zell's entire body now as the ground began to tremble.

"…On…"

Zell's eyes widened as Azel's did as the blur of a fist began to smoke a red smoke, his Limit break climbing even more as his energy topped and superseded anything previous, the rocky ground beneath them cracking under the paramagical energies within the air.

"…Heavens…"

Zell's fist began to move forward, ever so slowly, as if he was pulling the entire atmosphere of the planet along with him, his muscles feeling like they were on fire as his wounds seemed to pulse with pain, his energy fluxuating around him in such a way as to hurt.

"Door!" Zell's fist suddenly slashed forward, the slowness he felt only nanoseconds before disappearing as his fist slammed straight into Azel's perforated chest, the hand literally passing through the chest to exit from the back. Amazingly, there was no blood, no rupturing skin, no bodily organs flying all over the place – Azel looked completely fine, apart from having the nub of an arm rubbing against his chest. 

He knew better, however, and in his last seconds on earth he threw his head back and screamed out, screaming out his anguish, his pain, his anger, his rage, everything he had been looking forward to and having never done all disappearing in a blink of an eye as soon as this man before him stepped into the picture…

Then physics caught up with him. His chest exploded backward, his sternum, lungs, heart, oesophageus, windpipe and spine suddenly exploding from his back in a big bloody mess, his mouth unable to scream any longer as his vital organs followed suit, blown straight out in speeds incalculable – _to_ _disintegrate in mid air_, Zell's attack literally killing Azel on the spot.

His energy waning, Zell withdrew his vibrating, electrostatically charged hand, watching as Azel looked at him. Azel seemed to look disappointed in his last moments on the planet – before he simply fell back, Zell letting go of the arm he'd been holding onto to let the Heart flop onto the floor, finally dead.

Zell had done it. He'd completed his mission…at the cost of his daughter.

He felt his hand twitch within his gauntlet, but he paid the pain no heed as he sank to his knees and lay down on the ground, the fatigue finally catching up to him, the darkness finally beginning to close around him like a warm blanket, blood seeping from his mouth as he closed his eyes, the roar in the distance beginning to rise in volume…

- -

…Selphie frowned in confusion and turned to look back to Angel. "Was that who I think that was?"

"It's impossible!" Angel said, running to a computer to watch the re-play the Estharians had put up. "Zell cant turn around during My Final Heaven. The whole point is to increase speed and not decrease it until point of impact. And that includes having to turn. He just ploughs straight through everything until he reaches his mark – where he started."

The SeeD had accepted the arrival of the Green Ragnarok with grace – having seen it last as a Heart ship, she'd courageously stepped in front of the fallen Rinoa in order to protect the Sorceress – before almost falling over in relief as Selphie hopped off the loading bay ramp and ran forward, filling her in on the bare basics as her two friends loaded Rinoa onto a stretcher.

Now in the air, the two women were looking at Squall's body, still floating through the air as hundreds of souls per second poured through him. "Look, we'll figure that out later – you're certain Squall's okay like that?"

Angel bit her bottom lip, worried about Zell – but having to concentrate on the task at hand for the moment. "Look, it's like I told you – Aqual took over Squall's body with the help of the Queen. Rinoa took Aqual's soul out of Squall's body, then opened the Well of Souls to find Squalll's soul so she could put it back – but then this happened." Pain overcame her face as she timidly sat down in a chair. She wanted to rest, but there was too much left to do. "It's like the souls are all fighting over the body…trying to bond with a host in order to live again."

"…So…should I blast the stream?" Selphie asked, reaching for her control panel – before a big fat warning sign came up on her screen, causing her pretty face to glow a bright pink. "Oh…right…no weapons…"

Angel had been reaching out to stop Selphie from pressing anything else, and sat back in her seat as she realised that Selphie couldn't do anything. "I don't think that would work, anyways. This isn't a monster, it's a fountain of _souls_. You flew right through it when you were coming here, for Hyne's sake!"

"I know. We couldn't stop. Afterburners were on the fritz."

Angel groaned. The way Selphie had just delivered the last statement made her want to throttle her. "Look, I just want to get to Zell!" She shouted angrily.

"I know how you feel, Angel, but Squall's here, and in more danger then Zell. Zell can handle himself, everybody knows that." Selphie replied calmly, not perturbed by Angel's sudden outburst.

Angel simply sank back into her chair, suddenly embarrassed that she had lost control like that. "Look at me…I'm shaking like a leaf…almost soiled myself on almost four occasions today…I'm a failure as a SeeD…"

Selphie snorted. "Hon, you should have seen me when we were up against Ultimecia. Man, I was so frightened I dropped my nun-chaku."

That made Angel chuckle slightly – before her eyes widened as the screens in front of them focused on Squall suddenly flashed. "Look!"

Right before them, the flow of souls proceeding to Squall's body slowly began to lessen in speed as his body began to float back down to the ground.

"Holy crap!" Selphie exclaimed, before bringing up the scanners and scanning the body. "Its…it's alive! And it's consistent!" Her hands were suddenly a blur as she pressed buttons and commanded consoles. "Angel, go to the loading bay! We're going to grab him on the way down."

"Right!" Angel said, jumping from the co-pilot seat beside Selphie's, happy for something to do.

As she walked down to the loading bay, coming into the massive empty bay and waiting for the doors to open, Angel couldn't help but watch, as they drew nearer to the spout of Souls, that the pyre-flies were coming into the ship as well. Unhindered by the physical plain, the pyre-flies were allowed to come and go as they please, and moved through the thick hull of the ship with no effort whatsoever.

It was here that Angel crouched by the bay doors, hugging her knees to her chest, and waiting…waiting…

…Waiting to see him again.

She was certain he would be alright. He'd been through so much, and had survived much more…there was no way that he would die this time.

But…she missed him. Even with such a short time apart, the tenseness of the situation had overcome her. After the destruction of the Queen, Selphie had said that she had immediately flown for the Well – but not before seeing a fifth figure emerge from the hole in the ground where the Base had been and smacking two of the figures away before firing magic at the other two.

_Azel._

It was the only explanation that made sense. No-one else would have survived such brutality and come out with such anger…

_Zell…please…you have to win…_Angel thought, burying her head in her knees, feeling tears rolling down her cheeks as her grip tightened on her dirty pants…

Before the bay-doors had opened – and something had flown in, striking Angel with such a force it had blown her away from the doors and into the far corner of the bay.

It had been a collection of lights, the baubles which had been flitting in and out of Squall's body – a set had flown and _attacked_ her!

Now she felt something growing in her, something she had never felt before – _power_. Unbelievable power. Power unmeasurable. And as she felt it grow, she looked up – and saw them.

The souls. Not just as lights – but as people. Full, floating people. They moved around each other as if swimming through a strong current, being sucked through a vortex which they had no choice but to follow – and before her stood a woman in purple.

_The Queen of Hearts!_

"_As with all the Angels…"_ The Queen said sadly, holding her hand out to Angel. _"My power goes to you, a Sorceress of lesser or equal power."_

"But…but I'm not a Sorceress!" Angel cried as she felt the thing grow within her once more. "Rinoa is the Sorceress!"

"_You cannot choose what you are as much as I could. Now you have my power, I can pass onto the final plain and live out my afterlife…with him…"_ The Queen whispered as she turned to face a man with grey eyes – before they were both sucked into the vortex of light swirling outside the bay doors.

Angel looked down at her hands as the ghost of the Queen left – and realised they were no longer shaking. Indeed, she felt…revitalised. Energised. _Reborn._

Spreading her wings behind her, the white feathers settling as if they had always been there, her smoking white gaze looked out to the res sky beyond the spout of souls – to see Squall slowly spiralling down to earth. Spreading her wings wide, she leapt from the loading bay ramp and flew out to him, catching him in her arms before flying him back to the Ragnarok, landing on the loading-bay floor as if she had done it a thousand times before.

Lifting her smoking white gaze, she lifted her hand to the open/close stud across the room – and smiled as it depressed itself all by itself, the loading bay ramp closing behind her and allowing her to look down at Squall – who had his eyes open, his scarred face twisted into a frown.

Angel blinked uncertainly then, a puff of smoke appearing when she closed her eyes, before smiling down to him. _Um…hi?_

"You're…not Rinoa…" He asked in his cool voice, the voice filled with fatigue.

_No…Rinoa is in the Infirmary right now…want to go see her?_

"…Yes…I have to…see her…"

Looking up suddenly, the fledgling Sorceress noticed the two Estharians bearing the stretcher, standing completely still as they stared at her. Utter disbelief was etched on their faces – that the cute little brunette who had boarded their dragon-jet could have been a Sorceress had not once crossed their minds.

Angel ignored the Estharian's looks as she opened the loading bay doors and flew out, through the stream of souls, towards where Zell had been last.

- -

Veronica opened her eyes slowly – before wincing, placing her hand to her temple as she felt something wet, pulling her hand back – to see a silvery substance coating her fingertips and palm. Panic shot up her spine momentarily – before she realised that, now, this was what her blood looked like. The nanomachines had multiplied to such a point that her blood had become a moot point.

_I have to vent them somehow…_She thought to herself, sitting up and feeling the dirt and debris which had covered her body slide off – as well as something else, sitting in her lap. It felt heavy enough to be a rock, but was soft to the touch…

Her silver-tinged eyes went wide as she roughly shoved the head off her lap, the golden locks twisting around it as it rolled away from her.

Rolling over to her belly, Veronica tried not to vomit, retching loudly as the WarWorld wind began to pick up around her, blowing dust in all directions.

_Dee…_

She almost jumped out of her skin as something suddenly pulled itself out of the ground beside her – before realising it was Julius, his hands to his face as he moaned. "Oh gods…my head…" He murmured, before lowering his hands – to look around. "Wha…my glasses…oh gods…Veronica! Where are you!" He cried, his initial confusion turning to panicked concern.

Veronica blinked – before suddenly leaping at him, grasping him tightly to her, looking over his shoulder at the head lying not a few feet behind him. "Julius…" She whispered.

His arms were around her immediantly – but he could feel her trembling. With his glasses gone his sight was reduced to blur at a long distance, the curse of the hacker having to stare at a computer screen all day. Looking down to her, squinting slightly, his face bunched in confusion. "Whats wrong? Is Azel still out here?"

Veronica shook her head. Although the roaring light in the distance was still consitant, the sounds of Azel and Zell's battle seemed to have vanished a long time ago. "I…I think it's over…but…"

"But what?"

"…Dee…" Veronica whispered, clutching to Julius tighter, burying her face in his broad shoulder.

"What about her?" Julius asked, still confused about the current situation – before the realisation hit him. Blinking hard to force his eyes to focus properly, he turned to where Veronica had been staring…to see something out of place within the red ground.

A blur of yellow stood out brightly within the fuzzy red that was his sight…and Dee's usual blue dress wasn't attached to the gold.

His fists balled. _Azel…you bastard…not again…_

His anger was short lived as Veronica suddenly doubled over him again – and vomited violently, silver liquid splattering over his shirt.

"Dammit!" He shouted, grasping her shoulders and shifting around so she could puke on the ground, releasing the nanomachines building up within her. "You've been holding back again, haven't you? You need to drain it – don't hold it back, Veronica, let it out!"

Veronica's body heaved again, the sounds of splattering filling the air – before she stopped.

"…Is that it?" Julius asked, leaning forward to look down to her with his squinting blue eyes.

"N-no…"

"So why have you stopped!"

"…Because…I know how to put them to use…" She said, lowering her hand to place it into the silver muck on the ground, letting her fingers become lucent in it – before lifting her face to Julius', shifting closer to him, almost as if to kiss. "Open your eyes wide…" She whispered, her voice strained. "…Trust me…"

He did so instantly, opening his eyes as wide as he could, the dark blur that was her face suddenly coming into focus for a split second – before he felt something slick and warm touch his left eyeball, a cool feeling suddenly swamping his eye and flowing through to pool in the centre of his brain.

_She'd licked his eyeball!_

The sensation was almost as erotic as it was strange, and before he could respond she had moved to delicately press the tip of her tongue to his right eyeball, the cool feeling flowing through it just like before – and then it hit him.

The cool feeling wasn't just a reaction from her kissing his eyes – it was the nanomachines which had coated her tongue when she had released them, the microscopic-sized robots, thousands within a single drop of silvery saliva, now flowing over and around his eyes and travelling through his brain.

There was a brief moment where his sight blurred to the point where colour was moot – before everything cleared, becoming crystal clear, as if his eyes had never been ruined by hour upon hour of computer-screen radiation.

The smile which covered his face was brushed to one side as Veronica collapsed onto him, his arms coming to her shoulders again to hold her still as she coughed violently, her hand to her mouth – before she gripped his stained shirt. "…Her…her body…you have to find it…"

He nodded then. He knew exactly why she had bestowed this gift to him so quickly.

Dee was dead by Gaian standards…but by Immortal standards, the chances of her being revived had suddenly increased tenfold by the woman in his arms. The nanomachines multiplying within her body were curative nanos – specifically made to heal.

And they were linked to Veronica's body and mind.

Placing her down to the ground gently, Julius stood and looked around, trying to find out where they had landed compared to where he'd last seen Zell and Dee before Azel had knocked him out.

The landscape had changed to the point where Julius couldn't even tell where on the planet he was – two small canyon-sized trenches had been cut into the floor leading north and south, the canyons both meeting at one gigantic crater which seemed to have been dug in to the ground by a GF's footprint.

Running to the edge, he looked down – to see two bodies lying supine in the centre, smoke still pouring up from around their bodies.

_Zell…Azel…_

He had no chance to run down and examine them, however, as he suddenly found his prize – a small teenaged hand, half-buried and limply hanging out of the ground.

Running over to the hand, he grasped it and pulled it clear from the loose rubble before hefting it onto his shoulder. There was something macabre about the entire thing – but he was certain Veronica knew what she was doing as he turned and ran back to his lover, pausing only briefly to look down to the still form of Zell – _Wait, my friend – _before running for Veronica.

Skidding across the ground to stop beside her, he saw with his new-found sight that she had pulled the head out of the ground and placed it down, the face looking up to the sky. The teenager's eyes were closed, the expression calm – she looked like she was asleep.

"P-place her down…" Veronica ordered, Julius doing as he was told and placeing the body down gently, the neck pressing against the bottom of the skull. "Okay…now…don't look…" She whispered, before leaning forward.

Julius obeyed her again, ignoring the noises of her heaving, wincing as she mewled in pain, his head turned away to not look. He felt her trying to grasp at his hand as it rested in his lap and he grabbed hers, letting her hold onto him tight as her body heaved again – before she finally fell back, her head landing in his lap with a thump, her eyes closed with exhaustion.

Julius brushed a shining lock of black hair from her face before grabbing the hem of his shirt and wiping her lips clean tenderly. "You did good, honey…" He whispered, stroking her hair gently as he looked over to Dee's body. Silver liquid had drenched her neck, shoulders and chin, and there was the sound of tiny crackling as the robots went to work on such a vast area, replacing missing tissue with their own protein-based bodies and working themselves into intricate forms in order to complete the task.

Now drained, Veronica looked like she was about to fall asleep. Grasping his hand weakly, she smiled up to him – before passing out.

Julius stayed by her side, stroking her hair gently, allowing himself a reprieve. He was certain their evacuation will be ordered soon, but just making sure he pulled a warning beacon out of the back of his belt and activated it, pressing the small stud down before throwing it to one side. The beacon would send a distress signal straight to the nearest SeeD receiver, which shouldn't be too far away.

Everything was done. The Queen had been destroyed. Their mission was a success.

He'd almost fallen asleep himself when Dee suddenly sat up with a gasp, her hands to her neck and rubbing the new skin, the flesh white in comparison to the tan covering her skin – before she saw something that made her gasp once more.

_An angel._

_- - - _

Angel's flight was short as she zipped through the air, her wings beating powerfully behind her. She now realised the exhilaration that Rinoa had described to her whenever she had flown – the feeling of weightlessness, the air on your face, the total freedom it allowed you… 

But as she flew through the pyre-flies which surrounded her, coming over the area where the SeeD base had once been, the feeling was easily forgotten as she overlooked the destruction which had occurred there – as well as spying the epicentre of it all.

Her wings banking sharply behind her, she flew to the centre of the crater within the middle of the field, twisting her wings up to buffet her descent before landing – on thin air. Just like Rinoa, her body never truly touched the ground as the paramagical aura she was generating flowed – her feet stayed just an inch off the dirt as she ran forward to kneel beside the body of Zell.

She placed her fingers to her lips in shock as she saw the body that lay before him – bloodied, eviscerated and obliterated, Azel lay with his chest blown apart, unmoving, his blue eyes staring up into the sky blankly.

Tears rolled down her face slowly, the glowing droplets falling to her shirt-front and staining them as she looked at the body. Even though she had foguth against him, heard him speak such horrible words, and heard of the disgusting things he'd done to her lover and her friends, she felt a weird displacement as she looked down at his blank face. It was Zell's face, the man she loved with all her heart…it was the face he would wear when he died.

She shook her head violently and placed her hands to Zell's back, squeezing her smoking eyes shut as she tore her sight from Azel's body. _No…this is your love…your Knight…_She thought to herself firmly, feeling Zell's warm skin under her bare hands, feeling his dirty skin through his tattered shirt.

He was on his belly, his head turned away from her, and she could see the pool of blood which had been flowing out of his mouth slowly growing – but she was not afraid.

Her Sorceress powers, lying dormant for so long, had finally been awakened – and now she could sense his spirit.

And it burned like a raging fire, the flames leaping to the heavens, the light almost unbearable to look at. His soul was indomitable – even in this subdued state.

Rolling over, she whimpered psychically as she saw the state his body was in. She had been so put off by the feeling of his soul being so strong, she hadn't realised it didn't reflect the condition of his body. Drawing her hands around him, she held him close to her, his head against her shoulder as her wings encircled them both. She could feel his blood running through her shirt, wet and warm on her skin – but she also felt his breathing tickling her neck.

Holding him tightly to her, she whispered softly into his ear, her voice like a soft melody as her hand gently stroked his hair. _"We're together now…bonded like nothing else…unique and unbreakable…and we'll never allow hurt to befall one another…never again."_

Her glowing tears began to fall freely as she looked up to see a couple of figures sliding down the crater's walls, shouting and waving. Her laughter was only heard by Zell's subconscious as Dee and Julius ran towards her, Dee waving and shouting in hyperactive elation, Julius also smiling as he carried Veronica on his back, her arms limply wrapped around his neck. Above them the Ragnarok slashed across the sky, afterburners roaring as it banked around sharply in the air, pyreflies scattering as it came back towards the crater – as two Earth helicopters finally began to fly over the horizon, coming towards the Gaian base slowly but surely with it's now very disappointed payload…

Unconcious, Zell shifted slightly in his sleep, nestling closer to this warmth that had suddenly appeared to chase away the cold which had settled into his skin…

- -

As the Black Hawks touched down beside the Ragnarok Irvine jumped out, his Carbine discarded to the copter's floor as he ran forward – to be blown right off his feet by a leaping Selphie, the girl squealing in delight as she rammed her lover's body into the ground and peppered his face with kisses.

Quistis hopped out of the copter and jumped over Selphie and Irvine, running forward to the winged being standing by the unconscious Zell and the awe-struck Dee. "Rinoa! Glad you made it in one piece…" She started to say – before blinking in surprise as she watched the Sorceress turn to be revealed as Angel. "…What? I don't understand?"

_Rinoa is on the Ragnarok, in the infirmary._ Dee pulsed quietly, her cheeks flush as she looked down to her boots, trying to scuff the floor but being unable to since she was floating an inch off the ground. _…I was able to accept the Queen's powers when she was killed._

Dee was crouched beside Zell, one hand on his chest, the other dabbing at his face was the torn hem of her shirt. She was looking up at the wings on Angel's back, her eyes wide in pride and awe. _My mother, a Sorceress…maybe that means I might be part Sorceress! It could, seeing as my mum and Angel are pretty much the same on a genetic level…at least, I think they were._ Now she just looked confused, almost as confused as she had been when she had been revived.

One moment she had felt a searing pain in her neck before someone threw a rock at her head and knocked her out as she tried to breath – the next she had been looking up at the pyre-flies and something suddenly opened her windpipe, allowing her to breath.

She didn't know it had been Veronica that had revived her – Julius and Veronica had immediately gone to the sleeping quarters on the Ragnarok, disappearing inside with barely a word to the others.

Which was understandable. Everybody was exhausted, Zell was in no state to talk – and there was still a few loose ends to tie up.

The Seifers stepped towards the Sorceress and the others. Seifer, predictably, simply looked at Angel – before promptly dismissing her sudden rise of power, instead walking over to the body of Azel and giving it a good sharp kick.

Major Almasy, on the other hand, looked flabbergasted, blinking hard and rubbing his eyes as he stared at the…_angel_ before him. He shouldn't have been surprised, seeing as he'd only fought a massive humanoid monster not three hours ago, had been watching his Gaian comrades destroy their opponents using fire and ice which burst from their hands, and was currently sitting in the shadow on a gigantic metallic dragon-rocket ship.

His eyes were riveted to the woman, causing her to blush harder – before blinking as something was suddenly drawn out of his chest with a thump. He looked down – at Dee, the teenager holding the knife which had been embedded within his breastplate and, grabbing his free hand, placing it in his palm. "Don't stare, please." She said to him with a beaming smile, before turning and skipping back to sit beside her father.

The Major looked down at the knife in his hand, realising that he hadn't even been able to budge it with all his strength – before sighing, his shoulders hanging heavy. "You guys have bourbon in your world, right?" He asked nobody in particular. "I need a long, hard bender if I'm gonna be able to comprehend all this."

Walking back from making sure Azel was really, really dead, Seifer walked back to Zell and looked up at his doppel. "Shut-up and bring a stretcher. We'll get him onto the ship then fly back to the battle. By now the word that their Queen is dead will have hit the Hearts – they'll give up easily now."

Quistis nodded, watching as the Major grudgingly obeyed the Seed and ran to the helicopter to grab a stretcher, before turning around to face Angel, looking up at the sky and at all the pyreflies. "Any idea what these are?"

_Souls…all the trapped souls that the Queen had gathered within her Well…_Angel pulsed, lifting her hand to grasp one of the smoking lights, the smoke a kaleidoscope of color as she brought it close to her glowing eyes to scrutinise it.

Quistis frowned and reached up to grab at the lights – to watch as her hand passed right though them. Looking back over to the Sorceress before her, her face grew grim. "Why haven't they passed on to the next plain? And why can we see them?"

_A few thousand millennia trapped within such a confined space _is_ cramped…_ Angel replied within Quistis' mind, lifting her hand to release the soul, the little smoking light fluttering away like a butterfly. _They wish to relish the space before moving on to the next world. And as for seeing them…well…I guess even several trillion souls would be hard to miss, even by a person like the Major, who has absolutely no paramagical training whatsoever._

Quistis nodded. As always, Angel was the perfect SeeD – sharp witted and intelligent. "So…what? Just let them be?"

_We cant do anything to them anyways, and besides, they're not harming anybody…_ Angel replied absently as she watched the Seifers kneel at either end of Zell before lifting him onto the stretcher the Major had placed down for him, Dee following close behind them as they walked onto the ship – before the Sorceress looked back to Quistis. _Why ask me, anyways?_

Quistis blushed then, brushing a lock of blond hair from her face and pushing her glasses up her nose a little nervously. "Well, you _are_ a Sorceress now…I thought you'd know what to do about them…"

Angel smiled a sad smile, closing her eyes – before her feet touched the ground, her wings behind her shrinking away to nothingness. Opening her chocolate brown eyes once more, she smiled at Quistis. "Sorry Instructor…I'm just as clueless as you are about it. Right now, I just want to go to Zell and rest."

"Of course." Quistis said, nodding curtly, before looking over to Selphie and Irvine who were still on the floor, their reunion getting a little heated as they continued to kiss passionately. "I suppose we'd better get going, _shouldn't we Irvine and Selphie_?"

Her sharp rise of voice made the two jump, Selphie pulling Irvine's hand out from under her shirt before jumping to her feet, blowing a raspberry at Quistis before running for the Ragnarok, Irvine being dragged by his hand behind her as they disappeared up the ramp and into the loading bay.

"What now, Ma'am?" One of the Earth pilots called to Quistis, walking forward from the cockpit of one of the Black Hawks.

Quistis was about to speak – before spying something on the lip of the crater.

A collection of people, a few hundred at the most, crowding around the edge. Quistis frowned in confusion – before smiling as two stood out from the rest.

One was round, his brown hair and tweed jacket smeared with grim and dust. The other, tall and lean, was running his fingers through his long black hair with the silver temples.

"Ah crap, we missed out on the entire thing!" Laguna cried – before pointing his trembling finger at the Ragnarok in the centre of the crater, his eyes wide as his voice cried out in shock. "What – _what have you done to my ship!_ My gods, it's _green!_ And it's totally smashed up, too – the observation deck is totally ruined!" His hands moved to his hair, pulling at it as he sank to his knees. "And to top it all off, _I lost my gun! Gods dammit!_"

Cid placed his hand on Laguna's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Come now, Mr. President, it's not too bad – and besides, your gun is right by your side. You dropped it when you realised everybody was alright."

But Laguna wasn't listening, his hands to his face as he sobbed into his gloves. Cid rolled his eyes and shrugged. Laguna had always been slightly mental. Turning to the survivors of the GF usage, he waved his hands about, calling out orders. "Okay ladies and gentlemen, form a line, we're going down to the Ragnarok!"

"The utterly ruined Ragnarok!"

"…Yes, Laguna, that one."

"The ugly green Ragnarok!"

"If I recall, you also had a green Ragnarok made in your collection."

"That's not the point!"

Quistis sighed and rolled her eyes, turning to Angel. "Come on…we'd better tell Selphie that she has a few minutes to kill before they calm down and come down. I'm sure Irvine and her will spend the time more productively then Laguna and Cid will."

Angel laughed as she followed Quistis onto the ship, feeling at ease for the first time in a long while.

- -

_A month later…_

The waves crashed on the bow of the ship as it cut through the water, ocean filling the horizon for miles upon miles all around them. The smell of sea-salt filled the air, assailing the nostrils of the party-goers as they danced, laughed, sang and ate, the yellow Gaian sun beaming down warmly on them and reflecting off the waves, making the ocean looking like it was blanketed in sparkling diamonds.

The SeeDs had requisitioned the White SeeD Ship from Ellone, borrowing it for their time off after their ordeal. Coming back to Gaia, the SeeDs had been hailed heroes, having defeated the evil Sorceress once more and bringing order to the Universes once more.

Squall had awoken from a deep sleep a few days after he'd been picked up, his brief state of consciousness quickly subsiding as his soul and body tried to rest from the barrage of abuse they had gone through. Rinoa had also been placed in the same room as Squall, the two of them being in critical conditions when they had been returned to Gaia. Rinoa had been exhausted, having been pushed to the very limits of her mental and physical scales and beyond them – but she had awoken slowly to find Squall sitting beside her bed, quiet and adamant as usual, giving her his small smile he gave only to her.

They had become inseparable after that, never leaving each other's sides. It had been rare to see them apart before – but now they literally never left each other, the mere thought making them feel physically ill.

Zell had awoken in his hospital room, his entire body swathed in bandages – to get the fright of his life as Dee jumped into his line of sight and hugged him tightly, breaking something else within him. After Angel had cast Curaga on him – now certain it was safe to use magic on him – she had explained how she had become a Sorceress, telling him everything that had happened to both him and Dee. The two girls had also become inseparable during their time together, finding many things in common – but Angel had never told her anything about how she had gotten her Sorceress powers.

"So…you have all of Rinoa's powers?" Zell had asked, scratching the back of his neck, more then confused about it all.

"…Actually, seeing as I don't really know how powerful I had been before I accepted the Queen's power…" Angel had replied meekly. "…I might be a little bit better."

Zell had laughed at that, hugging her tightly, before hugging Dee tightly as well, thankful they had both been returned to him in good spirits and shape.

Julius and Veronica hadn't hung about for very long after returning to Gaia. Once Veronica had renounced her SeeDship, the hacker and his ice-bride had disappeared off the face of the planet. Zell had begun to search into their whereabouts in order to thank Veronica for bringing his daughter back to him and to thank Julius for all his help – but had given up after a few days, figuring they would much rather want the time to catch up then be annoyed by him.

The Major's Tidus had been reconstructed and reopened in Balamb Garden, now allowing free passage between Earth and Gaia. Major Almasy was now the representative of Earth on Gaia, and was lavishing the attention that he got whenever he travelled the different planet, meeting Shumi's and Moomba's, tasting the different customs between Trabia, Esthar and Galbadia, and having, as he said, 'one hell of a trip.'

Now the SeeDs were finally having some fun, after a month of tying up all the last loose ends. Evacuating the Gaian Army back to their respective worlds with the help of Rinoa and Angel, putting the straggling Hearts in their place with ultimatums which were either obeyed or viciously reprimanded – finally, they were able to rest.

Ellone walked out onto the deck of the ship, giggling as she stepped awkwardly over a sunbaking Selphie lying beside a sunbaking Irvine, his fedora tipped over his face, and walked towards the Dinchts standing at the buffet table.

Zell was dressed in a simple pair of blue and red board-shorts, his tanned muscle free for all to see as he grabbed a bun and a sausage and put them on his plate, before grabbing his mustard and tomato sauce. "Okay, see, you have to put the sauce in first, otherwise the juices in the sausage will make the bun soggy – Dee, are you listening!"

Dee stood beside her father, her lithe form clad in a one-piece bathing suit. She blinked, caught, and chewed the three sausages in her mouth up before swallowing. "Um, yes Daddy…"

"Crikey, pay attention! Now, you put the tomato sauce on first, then the mustard. Put on enough so the mustard mixes with the tomato, then slide that sausage in there and POW! One Balamb Hotdog!" He said in triumph, lifting the marvel of culinary cuisine for all to bask in it's glory – before devouring it voraciously.

Angel sat back in a lounge chair a little, her brown eyes shaded by her sunglasses. She wore a black bikini that Selphie had picked out for her which just bordered on Angel's level of acceptable modesty, keeping everything together but for some reason also lifting her breasts so as to make them seem bigger. She had no idea why Selphie had gushed over her when she had tried it on – before watching Zell's jaw hit the floor the first time she'd worn it for him. She lay back and watched her daughter and Knight fight over the last bun, giggling as the two of them squared off and took their stances. "No fighting, you two, or you'll get a spanking from Ellone!"

Zell blinked, lowering his hands and turning around to face the older woman. "Sis!" He exclaimed – before quickly kicking his heel up under the table, knocking the bun off the plate it had been on and out of Dee's outstretched grasp – to catch it as it sailed over his shoulder and offer it to his 'older sister'. "Hotdog?"

Ellone laughed, placing her fingers to her lips before shaking her head. "No thankyou, Zell – but Squall would like to see you at the head of the ship."

Zell paled, smiling nervously. "Uh-oh. I wonder what that means." He said, scratching the back of his neck, tossing the bun in his hand up and down – before sidestepping, pulling Ellone out of the way as Dee's crash-tackle made her sail right past him and down into the deck, cleaning up the snoozing Selphie and Irvine in the process.

"Better go see what the Commander wants, I guess." He said, handing the bun to Angel before leaning down to give her a quick kiss on the lips. "Don't fly off without me."

"I wont." Angel replied with a smile, watching him walk away – before yelping as Dee leapt from the bottom of the deck away from a very angry Selphie and Irvine and scampered past her, grabbing the bun out of Angel's hands as she scarpered around the buffet table, closely followed by Selphie and Irvine, Selphie grabbing a link of sausages and swinging them around her body like nun-chaku as Irvine grabbed the tomato and mustard sauce squeeze-bottles and began squirting with extreme prejudice.

- -

Walking along the edge of the ship with his hands in his pockets, Zell spied Squall and Rinoa standing at the bow of the ship, looking out at the ocean. Squall stood behind Rinoa with his arms wrapped around her waist, his chin resting on her head as they both stared absently out into the sea. Squall was also wearing board-shorts, black ones with silver flames licking up the sides, and Rinoa was wearing a bikini which rivalled Angel's in modesty.

Zell approached them cautiously, not really knowing if he ought to interrupt – before biting the bullet and clearing his throat noisily.

Squall turned his head slightly at the noise, looking over his shoulder to spy the fist-fighter. "Zell…"

Zell lifted his hands up in defense. "Look, Squall, for the last time, I didn't pinch your CDs, they just…wound up in my bag, that's all."

"It's not about that…"

"…And I took those Occult Fan magazines with the full intention of retuning them, but you know, chocolate melts…"

"…Zell, it's not about that either…"

"…And your Chicobo certainly had it coming, but I didn't mean to sit on it…"

"What!" Rinoa exclaimed suddenly, still standing before Squall, who was now rolling his eyes and felt like face-palming.

"…No, Zell, it's not about that either…"

Zell frowned, crossing his arms over his bare chest and jutting his chin forward. "Well, whatever it was, I didn't do it. It was Dee."

"Zell! I'm not going to blame you for anything, so shut up!" Squall suddenly shouted.

Rinoa blinked before looking up to Squall, her own anger gone as she looked at him quizzically.

At the other end of the ship Dee, Selphie and Irvine paused from their fight, Dee with her bun in her mouth and brandishing two celery-sticks, Selphie's link of sausages swinging limply in her hand, Irvine pausing in his head-shot, and Angel looking very angry at having her new bikini getting mustard on it.

White feathers flew and an explosion sounded, causing Zell to jump. "What the hell was that?"

"Zell, please, just listen to me…" Squall begged, exasperated.

Zell smirked, before shrugging, happy that he wasn't going to get scolded for anything. "Alright, alright, what's up?"

"Zell…" Squall said, now having turned with Rinoa in his arms. "…Rinoa and I are getting married in a few months."

Zell's eyebrows shot up as his smile grew in size. "Really? Wicked! Congratulations!"

Rinoa smiled to the short fist-fighter. "Thankyou Zell…but that's not why we asked you to come and talk to us…"

Zell blinked, thinking for a moment – before snapping his fingers in realisation. "Aha, best-man, right? Sure thing, why not…I'd better dust off the old SeeD Uniform…"

Squall suddenly spoke out. "Zell, marry Angel."

Zell blinked again – before doing a double-take. "Uhhh…come again?"

Rinoa giggled. "It's been really cute that you've been dancing around this for so long, Zell, but seriously, it's time to do it. Angel's been dying for you to, you know."

Zell's face seemed to lose it's colour as he looked down at his bare feet, scuffing the wooden deck with his heel. "Yeah…I know…" He looked behind him to see Angel flying around in the air, tossing a wailing Irvine up and down with her psychic powers, before approaching Squall and Rinoa and leaning forward, lifting his hand to shield his words as he whispered. "…I've even gotten the ring…" He looked about furtively, before stepping back. "…But I haven't gotten the courage to ask her."

"C'mon!" Rinoa crowed, laughing out loud. "How can _you,_ of all people, be scared!"

Zell simply blushed, looking down at his feet once more, his hands clasped behind him. "…I dunno…I guess I'm just…" His voice trailed off at the end, causing Squall to frown and lean forward.

"Sorry, what?"

Zell looked away again, rasing his voice a few more decibels so it was audible. "…Just afraid I'd be a bad husband."

The man and woman standing before the fist-fighter looked down at him with twin shocked expressions – before Rinoa leaned forward to punch Zell right in the cheek. "You're such an idiot!" She fumed, trying to get at him and only being held back by Squall. "Squall, lemme go, I'm going to kill him!"

Yelping, Zell took this as his que to leave and ran, quickly, and didn't look back.

Calming down quickly, Rinoa leaned into Squall's embrace and smiled, looking up at him. "You think he's going to?"

Squall leaned forward with a smile and kissed her cheek, before turning them to face the ocean once more. "I do."

Rinoa snorted, pinching his forearm, smiling warmly as she felt his warmth on her back. "You say that later, silly…"

- -

Dee looked up from her viewing point on her mother's lounge chair as Zell walked back from the bow of the ship and pointed at him, laughing and almost dropping her hotdog. "Ha ha, you got busted! It was for the Chicobo, right? I told you not to sit there, but nooooo…"

Zell rolled his eyes and sat down on the lounge chair, reaching out to ruffle her long blonde locks. "Nah, it wasn't about that…"

"Then what?" She asked, looking back up and watching as Angel dunked Irvine into the water again before tossing him up with her psychic powers, waving to her winged mother as she smiled down to them.

Zell sighed heavily, reaching out to put his arm around Dee's shoulder and pull her close to him. "Hey…you like it here, right?"

Dee blinked, looking up at Zell as he looked out at the ocean, obviously not concerned with the fun that was being had at Irvine's expense. "…Of course I do, Daddy. Being here with you, and Mother…of course, Mr. Cid said we'll be looking into a way to get back to the Immortal Universe, but to tell the truth…I don't think I want to go back there anymore." She lay against him then, snuggling into his embrace. "It's too much fun here…"

"Mmm…but you like it with me and Angel, right?"

"Of course, dummy! Why wouldn't I? Besides, once you finally get off your lazy ass and buy that place in Balamb that Mum likes so much, we'll be able to live like a real family instead of being in separate places on the Garden…"

"Mmm…" Zell replied with a nod, stroking her hair gently.

Dee closed her eyes and sighed. "I love you, Daddy."

"I know, sweetheart. I love you too."

- -

It was later on, during the warm night, that Angel and Zell walked along the deck, looking down at the water as it lapped against the stern of the ship. They had dropped anchor a few miles off the shore of Dollet, the beach-side city's lights winking on the horizon along with the stars in the sky.

Angel gasped Zell's hand gently, swinging it between them as she walked, letting the movement make their shoulders rub together, the touch sending chills up her spine. "Gods, I still cant believe how great it feels to be home on Gaia…"

"Yeah, tell me about it. Seeing all those different Universes was pretty cool, but the last one just sucked royally…" Zell replied with a chuckle, before stopping and leaning on the guard-railing along the edge of the ship.

Angel wrapped her hands around his midsection, her breasts pressing against his back as she kissed the back of his neck gently. "What's wrong, honey? After you spoke to Squall you got all quiet…you barely even touched your dinner, which simply isn't you…"

"I know…" Zell said, one hand in his pocket, the other resting against the railings, relishing the feeling of her against him. "…I've been thinking…and you know how thinking affects my appitite…"

Angel paused, before walking around to place a finger on his chin and turn his head to face her – and to see it was a deep red. "Whats wrong, Zell?" She asked, concern edging into her voice.

Zell chewed on the inside of his cheek – before speaking meekly. "Angel…would you like to marry me?"

Angel blinked, taken aback by the question. "Is…is that a proposal?" She asked softly, tears welling in her eyes…

"No. I'm just asking." He replied, cutting the feelings welling inside her off a little.

"…Of course I would like to marry you." She asked, turning him around to hug him tightly. "I always thought that you'd ask first, that's all."

"Oh…" He said, his hands gently playing with her ponytail as he hugged her back – before pulling away and looking into her eyes. "Angel…would you like to marry me?" He asked, almost as if to confirm.

She blinked, uncertain about how to react now. "…Are you asking now, or…"

"Nah, I'm proposing now." He said, reaching into his pocket to pull out the little box he'd been fingering the entire time through dinner and opening it to reveal the ring within.

Angel's happy squeal made Dee jump in her bed, sitting up and rubbing her eyes – before turning to bang her hand against the wall at Selphie and Irvine's room, the sounds of moaning and thumping coming rhythmically from the wall. "Gods, stop that wrestling or training or whatever it was I walked in on, you two!" She shouted before lying back and pulling her sheet over her head.

Zell lay on the floor where Angel had jumped on him, her kissed raining down on him, feeling slightly baffled. "This is a yes, right?"

The End

_Ladies and Gentlemen, thankyou for reading FF8 Tournament: Twist In Time. I know it took me a long time to finally get this last chapter out, but I think you'll all agree that it was well worth the wait. I hope you liked the ending – one reviewer said it did get rather dark near the end, and they were right – the ending, I think, was a nice cap to it all._

_I'd like to thank all my regular readers for being such wicked readers and staying true to me for so long. Your reviews inspired me and made me enjoy the entire procedure even more – I hope your last ones will give some insight into what you liked about the story and why you hung on for so long._

_This isn't the end, however. True to my nature, in the future, if you check the story, you might find another chapter – Twist In Time Extras. This will be like a DVD extra's chapter, including bloopers, interviews with me and one of my most influential reviewer, Matt – that's right, I'm going to see why you liked it so much you big lug – and, quite possibly, an alternate ending. If you have any questions about a sequel, the characters, or any of the Universes the SeeDs visited during the story, put them in your review and I'll answer them in this extra chapter._

_Thankyou one last time. This is the Eight Winged Angel, Michael Kenny, hoping you enjoyed my story._


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